2000
#8,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,351
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Naugle
A Norman French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of nails.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,712 Americans carry the last name Naugle. That puts it at #9,602 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,337 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naugle 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
3.7K
1 in 92,337
Census rank
#9,602
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,237 bearers of the surname Naugle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9602nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naugle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naugle
The surname "NAUGLE" has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the old German word "nougel," which referred to a type of small nail or spike used in construction. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to someone who worked as a nailer or blacksmith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to 1548. These records mention a "Hans Naugle," who was a master blacksmith and metalworker. The name also appears in various other German records from the 16th and 17th centuries, with spellings such as "Naugl," "Naugler," and "Naugel."
In the late 17th century, the name began to appear in regions of what is now modern-day Switzerland and Austria, indicating that members of the Naugle family had migrated from Germany to these neighboring areas. One notable individual from this period was Johann Naugle (1642-1712), a prominent clockmaker and jeweler from Bern, Switzerland.
As the centuries passed, the name spread to other parts of Europe, with some members of the Naugle family eventually making their way to the Americas. One of the earliest known individuals with the surname in America was Michael Naugle (1720-1804), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-18th century.
Throughout history, there have been several noteworthy individuals bearing the surname Naugle. These include:
1. Friedrich Naugle (1802-1879), a German philosopher and author known for his works on ethics and metaphysics.
2. Margaret Naugle (1876-1951), an American artist and painter renowned for her landscape paintings of the American West.
3. Johann Naugle (1845-1923), a German-born engineer and inventor who played a significant role in the development of early automobiles and internal combustion engines.
4. Charles Naugle (1887-1964), an American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Naugle Grocery Company, one of the largest grocery store chains in the Midwest during the early 20th century.
5. Renata Naugle (1921-2005), a Polish-born author and novelist who wrote extensively about her experiences during World War II and the Holocaust.
While the exact origins of the surname "NAUGLE" may be debated, its history can be traced back several centuries, with roots firmly planted in the German-speaking regions of Europe. Over time, the name has spread across the globe, carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from philosophy and art to engineering and entrepreneurship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naugle
Among Census respondents with the surname Naugle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Naugle 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 Naugle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,968
- Two or more races3.4% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 68
- Black or African American1.8% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naugle
Naugle 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
#9,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,420
+69 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 530 places
2020
#9,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,237
-183 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 99 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,973 | 3,351 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,503 | 3,420 | 1.16 | +69 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 530 places |
| 2020 | #9,602 | 3,237 | 1.08 | -183 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 99 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 Naugle 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 | #9,503 | #9,602 | -1.0% |
| Count | 3,420 | 3,237 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.08 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naugle bearers went from 3,420 to 3,237 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 99 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,503 to #9,602.
FAQ
Naugle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naugle?
Name Census estimates that about 3,712 living Americans carry the surname Naugle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,337 residents.
How common is Naugle?
Naugle ranks #9,602 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,237 people with the surname Naugle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,712), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Naugle.
Has Naugle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naugle went from 3,420 recorded bearers to 3,237. That is a decrease of 183 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,503 to #9,602.
What does the Census say about the background of Naugle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naugle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Naugle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,968 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naugle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Naugle (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 Naugle mean?
A Norman French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of nails. 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 Naugle (1.08 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 Naugle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.