2000
#82,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 213
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Rare Last name
Njuguna
A Kikuyu surname meaning "one who travels at night".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,310 Americans carry the last name Njuguna. That puts it at #23,022 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 261,645 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Njuguna 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 Njuguna with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 261,645
Census rank
#23,022
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,142 bearers of the surname Njuguna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23022nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Njuguna, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Njuguna
The surname NJUGUNA is of Kenyan origin, specifically from the Kikuyu tribe. It is believed to have originated in the late 18th or early 19th century, deriving from the Kikuyu word 'njuguna,' which means 'one who travels far and wide.'
The name is thought to have been given to individuals or families who were known for their wanderlust and adventurous spirit, often traveling long distances for trade, exploration, or in search of new opportunities. The Kikuyu people have a rich oral tradition, and it is likely that the earliest records of this surname were passed down through storytelling and oral histories.
One of the earliest known references to the name NJUGUNA can be found in the writings of Johann Ludwig Krapf, a German missionary who lived and worked among the Kikuyu people in the mid-19th century. In his journals, Krapf mentions encountering individuals with this surname, indicating its prevalence in the region during that time.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname NJUGUNA include Jomo Kenyatta (1894-1978), the first Prime Minister and later President of independent Kenya. Kenyatta was a prominent figure in the Kenyan independence movement and played a crucial role in the country's transition to self-governance.
Another significant figure was Ngugi wa Thiong'o (born 1938), a renowned Kenyan writer, academic, and social activist. Ngugi has been a leading voice in postcolonial literature and has written extensively on issues of language, culture, and identity.
Wangari Maathai (1940-2011), an environmental and political activist, was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her contributions to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.
In the world of athletics, Henry Rono (born 1952) was a legendary Kenyan middle and long-distance runner, holding multiple world records in the 1970s and 1980s. He is considered one of the greatest distance runners of all time.
Lastly, Raila Odinga (born 1945) is a prominent Kenyan politician and former Prime Minister, known for his long-standing involvement in the country's political landscape and his advocacy for democratic reforms.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Njuguna
Among Census respondents with the surname Njuguna, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Njuguna 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 Njuguna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.3% · 1,077
- White2.5% · 28
- Two or more races2.5% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Njuguna
Njuguna 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
#35,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 636
+423 bearers (+198.6%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 46,949 places
2020
#23,022
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,142
+506 bearers (+79.6%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 12,373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #82,344 | 213 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,395 | 636 | 0.22 | +423 bearers (+198.6%) | Up 46,949 places |
| 2020 | #23,022 | 1,142 | 0.38 | +506 bearers (+79.6%) | Up 12,373 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 Njuguna 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 | #35,395 | #23,022 | 35.0% |
| Count | 636 | 1,142 | 79.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.38 | 73.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Njuguna bearers went from 636 to 1,142 (+79.6% change). The surname moved up 12,373 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,395 to #23,022.
FAQ
Njuguna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Njuguna?
Name Census estimates that about 1,310 living Americans carry the surname Njuguna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 261,645 residents.
How common is Njuguna?
Njuguna ranks #23,022 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,142 people with the surname Njuguna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,310), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Njuguna.
Has Njuguna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Njuguna went from 636 recorded bearers to 1,142. That is an increase of 506 (+79.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #35,395 to #23,022.
What does the Census say about the background of Njuguna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Njuguna, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Njuguna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (1,077 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Njuguna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.3%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (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 Njuguna (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 Njuguna mean?
A Kikuyu surname meaning "one who travels at night". 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 Njuguna (0.38 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 many people share the surname Njuguna?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.