2000
#5,411
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,924
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.20
Rare Last name
Miracle
A surname referring to an extraordinary or unusual event, often of divine origin, that surpasses natural powers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,013 Americans carry the last name Miracle. That puts it at #5,489 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,874 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Miracle 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
7.0K
1 in 48,874
Census rank
#5,489
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,116 bearers of the surname Miracle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5489th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Miracle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Miracle
The surname Miracle is of English origin, and is believed to have first appeared in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who performed or was associated with miracles or miraculous events.
One theory suggests that the name may have been derived from the Old French word "miracle," which itself came from the Latin "miraculum," meaning "an extraordinary or supernatural event." It is possible that the name was initially given to individuals who were believed to have witnessed or been involved in miraculous occurrences.
Another possible origin of the name is that it may have been a reference to the medieval mystery plays, which often depicted biblical miracles and were a popular form of entertainment during that time. Individuals who performed or were involved in the production of these plays could have been referred to as "miracles" or "miracle-makers."
The earliest recorded use of the surname Miracle dates back to the late 16th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Miracle, who was born in London in 1587. Another early record is of William Miracle, who was baptized in the parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, in 1609.
In the 17th century, the name Miracle appeared in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. Some notable individuals with this surname from this period include Thomas Miracle (1630-1692), a minister and author from Somerset, and John Miracle (1655-1718), a wealthy merchant from Bristol.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Miracle surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable bearer of the name was Samuel Miracle (1745-1823), a Methodist minister and author from County Armagh, Ireland. Another was James Miracle (1770-1849), a British sailor and navigator who explored the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
Other notable individuals with the surname Miracle include John Miracle (1837-1916), an American Civil War veteran and politician from Ohio, and Mary Miracle (1884-1975), an American nurse and educator who worked to improve healthcare in rural areas of Kentucky.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Miracle
Among Census respondents with the surname Miracle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Miracle 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 Miracle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 5,523
- Two or more races3.2% · 198
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 173
- Black or African American2.7% · 164
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Miracle
Miracle 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
#5,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,291
+367 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 2.13
Rank movement Down 114 places
2020
#5,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,116
-175 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Up 36 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,411 | 5,924 | 2.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,525 | 6,291 | 2.13 | +367 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 114 places |
| 2020 | #5,489 | 6,116 | 2.05 | -175 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 36 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 Miracle 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 | #5,525 | #5,489 | 0.7% |
| Count | 6,291 | 6,116 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.13 | 2.05 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Miracle bearers went from 6,291 to 6,116 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 36 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,525 to #5,489.
FAQ
Miracle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Miracle?
Name Census estimates that about 7,013 living Americans carry the surname Miracle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,874 residents.
How common is Miracle?
Miracle ranks #5,489 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,116 people with the surname Miracle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,013), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Miracle.
Has Miracle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Miracle went from 6,291 recorded bearers to 6,116. That is a decrease of 175 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,525 to #5,489.
What does the Census say about the background of Miracle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Miracle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Miracle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (5,523 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Miracle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Miracle (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 Miracle mean?
A surname referring to an extraordinary or unusual event, often of divine origin, that surpasses natural powers. 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 Miracle (2.05 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 people have the last name Miracle?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Miracle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.