2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Migdol
A surname derived from the Hebrew word meaning "tower" or "watchtower".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Migdol. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Migdol surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Migdol in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Migdol, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Migdol
The surname MIGDOL is believed to have its origins in ancient Egypt, derived from the Hebrew word "migdol," which means "tower" or "fortress." This name is thought to have been adopted by Jewish families who lived in or near the ancient Egyptian city of Migdol, which was located near the modern-day town of Tell el-Herr in the northeastern Nile Delta region.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name MIGDOL can be found in the Bible, specifically in the Book of Exodus, where it is mentioned as a place where the Israelites camped during their exodus from Egypt. This biblical reference suggests that the name MIGDOL has been in use for several millennia.
During the Middle Ages, the name MIGDOL appeared in various European records, often spelled in different variations such as Migdal, Migdall, or Migdol. One notable individual bearing this surname was Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhak, also known as Rashi (1040-1105), a renowned French rabbi and scholar who is considered one of the most influential commentators on the Talmud.
In the 16th century, a Spanish Jew named Solomon Migdol (1486-1572) gained prominence as a physician and philosopher in the court of King Henry VIII of England. Another notable individual with this surname was Isaac Migdol (1558-1628), a Dutch rabbi and scholar who authored several works on Jewish law and philosophy.
Moving forward to the 18th century, we find mention of Moses Migdol (1715-1792), a German-born Jewish merchant and philanthropist who settled in London and became a prominent member of the city's Jewish community.
In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the surname MIGDOL was Nahum Migdol (1887-1965), a Russian-born Israeli poet and writer who is considered a pioneer of modern Hebrew literature. His works, which often explored themes of identity and the human condition, have had a lasting impact on the literary landscape of Israel.
It is worth noting that while the surname MIGDOL has its roots in ancient Egypt and has been associated with Jewish communities throughout history, it has also been adopted by individuals of various backgrounds and nationalities over the centuries, reflecting the diverse cultural influences and migrations of people across the globe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Migdol
Among Census respondents with the surname Migdol, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Migdol bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Migdol surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Migdol
Migdol appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+14 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,427 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-26 bearers (-20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 22,980 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 3,427 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -26 bearers (-20.0%) | Down 22,980 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Migdol surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #130,610 | #153,590 | -17.6% |
| Count | 130 | 104 | -20.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Migdol bearers went from 130 to 104 (-20.0% change). The surname moved down 22,980 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #153,590.
FAQ
Migdol surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Migdol?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Migdol. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Migdol?
Migdol ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Migdol. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Migdol.
Has Migdol become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Migdol went from 130 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 26 (-20.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Migdol?
Among Census respondents with the surname Migdol, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Migdol in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Migdol appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Migdol (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Migdol mean?
A surname derived from the Hebrew word meaning "tower" or "watchtower". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Migdol (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Migdol?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.