2000
#2,146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,545
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.76
Uncommon Last name
Nagy
A Hungarian surname derived from the word "nagy," meaning "great" or "large" in size, importance, or influence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,864 Americans carry the last name Nagy. That puts it at #2,415 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,325 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nagy 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 Nagy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,325
Census rank
#2,415
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,706 bearers of the surname Nagy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2415th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nagy
The surname NAGY is of Hungarian origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Hungarian word 'nagy', which means 'great' or 'large'. The name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was tall or had a large build.
In the early records of Hungary, the name NAGY appeared frequently, often with a variety of spellings such as Noghy, Nagg, or Naghij. One of the earliest known examples is found in a document from 1301, which mentions a man named Miklós Nagy from the village of Kőrösszeg.
The name NAGY was also prevalent in medieval manuscripts and records from other parts of Central Europe, where Hungarian influence was strong. For instance, in the 14th century, there are references to a family of nobles named Nagy in the territory of modern-day Slovakia.
One of the most notable historical figures with the surname NAGY was János Nagy, a Hungarian military leader who played a crucial role in the Long War against the Ottoman Empire in the late 16th century. He was born around 1540 and was renowned for his strategic brilliance and bravery in battles against the Turkish forces.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Imre Nagy, a Hungarian politician and revolutionary who served as Prime Minister during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. He was born in 1896 and was executed by the Soviet-backed government in 1958 for his role in the uprising against communist rule.
In the field of literature, Lajos Nagy was a celebrated Hungarian poet and novelist who lived from 1857 to 1915. His works, such as the novel "The Black House" and the poetry collection "Lyrics and Epigrams," explored themes of rural life and social injustice.
Gergely Nagy, born in 1977, is a contemporary Hungarian artist known for his large-scale installations and sculptures. His work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world, and he is considered one of the leading figures in the Hungarian contemporary art scene.
Lastly, Ferenc Nagy was a Hungarian politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Hungary from 1946 to 1947. He was born in 1903 and played a significant role in the transition of Hungary from a monarchy to a republic after World War II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nagy
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Nagy 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 Nagy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 13,572
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 530
- Two or more races2.7% · 399
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 120
- Black or African American0.4% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nagy
Nagy 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
#2,354
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,497
-48 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 5.25
Rank movement Down 208 places
2020
#2,415
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,706
-791 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 4.92
Rank movement Down 61 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,146 | 15,545 | 5.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,354 | 15,497 | 5.25 | -48 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 208 places |
| 2020 | #2,415 | 14,706 | 4.92 | -791 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 61 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 Nagy 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 | #2,354 | #2,415 | -2.6% |
| Count | 15,497 | 14,706 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 5.25 | 4.92 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nagy bearers went from 15,497 to 14,706 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 61 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,354 to #2,415.
FAQ
Nagy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nagy?
Name Census estimates that about 16,864 living Americans carry the surname Nagy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,325 residents.
How common is Nagy?
Nagy ranks #2,415 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,706 people with the surname Nagy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,864), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Nagy.
Has Nagy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nagy went from 15,497 recorded bearers to 14,706. That is a decrease of 791 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,354 to #2,415.
What does the Census say about the background of Nagy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Nagy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (13,572 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nagy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Nagy (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 Nagy mean?
A Hungarian surname derived from the word "nagy," meaning "great" or "large" in size, importance, or influence. 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 Nagy (4.92 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 Nagy?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Nagy? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.