2000
#3,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,650
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.95
Uncommon Last name
Nagle
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Niadh Gheala," meaning "descendant of the bright champion."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,583 Americans carry the last name Nagle. That puts it at #3,454 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,591 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nagle 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nagle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,591
Census rank
#3,454
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,101 bearers of the surname Nagle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3454th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nagle
The surname Nagle originated in Ireland, deriving from the Gaelic O'Naghaile, which translates to "descendant of Naille." Naille was a personal name that emerged from the Irish word "nailliu," meaning "poet" or "scholar." The name's roots can be traced back to the 11th century in County Cork, Ireland.
The Nagle family held significant influence and power in County Cork during the Middle Ages. They were among the leading septs (clan-based families) of the region. Historical records mention the Nagles as landowners and chieftains in areas such as Mallow, Fermoy, and Mitchelstown.
One of the earliest documented references to the Nagle surname can be found in the Annals of Innisfallen, an Irish chronicle dating back to the early 13th century. The annals mention several members of the Nagle family, including Dermot O'Nagle, who was killed in 1224.
In the 16th century, the Nagles were among the prominent Irish families who resisted the Tudor conquest of Ireland. Prominent figures from this era include Sir Richard Nagle (c. 1530-1612), a soldier and statesman who served as a Member of Parliament for Cork County, and Reverend Neville Nagle (c. 1575-1631), a Catholic priest and philosopher.
The name Nagle also gained recognition through the life of Venerable Honoria Nagle (1676-1784), an Irish Roman Catholic religious sister and educator who founded the Presentation Sisters. She dedicated her life to providing education and care for the poor and underprivileged in Ireland.
Another notable figure was Sir Edmund Nagle (1839-1911), an Irish-born Australian politician and lawyer who served as the 14th Premier of New South Wales from 1907 to 1910.
Additionally, the Nagle name has been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Nagle's Hill, Nagle's Meadow, and Nagle's Court, reflecting the family's historical landholdings and influence in various regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nagle
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Nagle 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 Nagle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 9,244
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 319
- Two or more races3.0% · 304
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 144
- Black or African American0.5% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nagle
Nagle 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
#3,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,963
+313 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 3.72
Rank movement Down 175 places
2020
#3,454
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,101
-862 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 3.38
Rank movement Down 162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,117 | 10,650 | 3.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,292 | 10,963 | 3.72 | +313 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 175 places |
| 2020 | #3,454 | 10,101 | 3.38 | -862 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 162 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 Nagle 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 | #3,292 | #3,454 | -4.9% |
| Count | 10,963 | 10,101 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.72 | 3.38 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nagle bearers went from 10,963 to 10,101 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 162 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,292 to #3,454.
FAQ
Nagle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nagle?
Name Census estimates that about 11,583 living Americans carry the surname Nagle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,591 residents.
How common is Nagle?
Nagle ranks #3,454 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,101 people with the surname Nagle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,583), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Nagle.
Has Nagle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nagle went from 10,963 recorded bearers to 10,101. That is a decrease of 862 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,292 to #3,454.
What does the Census say about the background of Nagle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Nagle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (9,244 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nagle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Nagle (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 Nagle mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Niadh Gheala," meaning "descendant of the bright champion." 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 Nagle (3.38 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 Nagle?
Find out how many people have the surname Nagle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.