2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nagg
A dialectal English variant of the word "nag", referring to a small horse or pony.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Nagg. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nagg 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Nagg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagg, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nagg
The surname NAGG has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "nægga," which means "nag" or a small horse. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name for someone who worked with horses, such as a stable groom or a horse trader.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the NAGG surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a person named Walter Nagge is mentioned. Additionally, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Berkshire in 1279, with a reference to a Robert Nagge.
In the 14th century, the NAGG surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire. Some variations in spelling, such as Nagge, Nagges, and Naggs, were also common during this period.
The NAGG surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the late 15th century, there was a prominent landowner named John Nagg who held estates in Oxfordshire. Another notable figure was William Nagg, a merchant from Bristol who lived in the early 16th century and was involved in the wool trade with the Netherlands.
During the 17th century, the NAGG surname gained prominence in the county of Warwickshire. One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Nagg, a wealthy landowner and justice of the peace who lived from 1620 to 1688. His son, also named Thomas Nagg (1650-1721), was a respected clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Tanworth-in-Arden.
Another significant figure was Robert Nagg (1675-1745), a successful merchant and shipowner from Bristol. He was involved in the transatlantic trade and owned several vessels that sailed between England and the American colonies.
In the 18th century, the NAGG surname spread to other parts of England, including London and the northern counties. One notable bearer was John Nagg (1710-1784), a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Recorder of London from 1759 to 1784.
Throughout its history, the NAGG surname has been associated with various occupations, including landowners, merchants, clergymen, and legal professionals. While the name has evolved in spelling and geographic distribution over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "nægga," reflecting the surname's connection to the equine world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nagg
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagg, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Nagg 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 Nagg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nagg
Nagg 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+10 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,041 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,884 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 1,041 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 5,884 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 Nagg 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 | #149,395 | #143,511 | 3.9% |
| Count | 110 | 118 | 7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nagg bearers went from 110 to 118 (+7.3% change). The surname moved up 5,884 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #143,511.
FAQ
Nagg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nagg?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Nagg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Nagg?
Nagg ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Nagg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Nagg.
Has Nagg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nagg went from 110 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 8 (+7.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Nagg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagg, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Nagg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nagg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Nagg (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 Nagg mean?
A dialectal English variant of the word "nag", referring to a small horse or pony. 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 Nagg (0.04 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 common is the surname Nagg?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Nagg, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.