2000
#6,202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,081
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.88
Rare Last name
Naughton
An Irish surname derived from Ó Neachtain, meaning "descendant of Neachtain," a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,778 Americans carry the last name Naughton. That puts it at #6,480 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,321 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naughton 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 Naughton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 59,321
Census rank
#6,480
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,039 bearers of the surname Naughton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6480th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naughton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naughton
The surname Naughton originates from Ireland, tracing its roots back to the Irish Gaelic O'Nachtain, a patronymic name derived from the personal name Nachtan. This name is believed to have evolved from the Old Irish word "nocht," meaning "poor" or "naked," and was likely given as a descriptive nickname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Naughton can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a chieftain named O'Nachtain who ruled over a territory in County Roscommon during the 12th century.
The Naughton surname is predominantly associated with counties Roscommon, Galway, and Mayo in the western province of Connacht. Historical records indicate that the family held lands in these regions and played a significant role in local affairs throughout the Middle Ages.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, as English rule solidified in Ireland, many Irish surnames underwent anglicization. The Gaelic O'Nachtain was anglicized to various spellings, including Naughton, Naghten, and Noughton, with Naughton becoming the most common form.
One notable figure bearing the Naughton surname was Sir John Naughten (1611-1683), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. Another prominent individual was John Naughton (1793-1859), an Irish politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the County Mayo constituency.
In the 19th century, Anne Naughton (1815-1892), an Irish entrepreneur and philanthropist, gained recognition for her successful business ventures and charitable work in Dublin. She founded the Naughton Institute, a school for the education of poor children.
Across the Atlantic, John Naughton (1820-1898), an Irish-American politician, served as a U.S. Representative from Minnesota in the late 19th century.
More recently, the Naughton name has been carried by notable individuals such as John Naughton (born 1945), a British author and academic who has written extensively on the history and impact of the internet and digital technologies.
While the Naughton surname has its roots firmly planted in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Irish diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic personal name Nachtan and its associations with the western Irish counties of Roscommon, Galway, and Mayo.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naughton
Among Census respondents with the surname Naughton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Naughton 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 Naughton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 4,556
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 168
- Black or African American2.4% · 119
- Two or more races2.3% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naughton
Naughton 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
#6,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,264
+183 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 246 places
2020
#6,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,039
-225 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Down 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,202 | 5,081 | 1.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,448 | 5,264 | 1.78 | +183 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 246 places |
| 2020 | #6,480 | 5,039 | 1.69 | -225 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 32 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 Naughton 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 | #6,448 | #6,480 | -0.5% |
| Count | 5,264 | 5,039 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.78 | 1.69 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naughton bearers went from 5,264 to 5,039 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,448 to #6,480.
FAQ
Naughton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naughton?
Name Census estimates that about 5,778 living Americans carry the surname Naughton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,321 residents.
How common is Naughton?
Naughton ranks #6,480 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.69 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 5,039 people with the surname Naughton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,778), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.69 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 Naughton.
Has Naughton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naughton went from 5,264 recorded bearers to 5,039. That is a decrease of 225 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,448 to #6,480.
What does the Census say about the background of Naughton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naughton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (2.4%). 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 Naughton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (4,556 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naughton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), Black (2.4%). 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 Naughton (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 Naughton mean?
An Irish surname derived from Ó Neachtain, meaning "descendant of Neachtain," a personal name of uncertain origin. 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 Naughton (1.69 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 share the surname Naughton?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.