2000
#9,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,054
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Ogburn
Derived from a place name meaning "oak tree stream," likely referring to a person who lived near such a stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,501 Americans carry the last name Ogburn. That puts it at #10,063 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,902 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ogburn 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 Ogburn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,902
Census rank
#10,063
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,053 bearers of the surname Ogburn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10063rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ogburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Black (23.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ogburn
The surname OGBURN has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hog" and "burn," which collectively refer to a small stream or brook frequented by hogs or swine. This suggests that the name may have initially been a place name, referring to a particular location where hogs would gather around a water source.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the OGBURN surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, dated around 1273. This historical document lists a person named William de Hoggebourn, which is likely an early spelling variation of the OGBURN name. This record provides evidence of the name's existence in medieval England.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the OGBURN surname appears in various parish records and legal documents across different counties in England, including Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. These records often showcase spelling variations such as Hoggebourne, Hogbourne, and Ogborne, reflecting the evolving nature of surnames during that era.
Notably, the OGBURN surname is associated with several historical figures throughout the centuries. One prominent individual was Thomas Ogburn (1609-1695), an English clergyman and writer who served as the rector of Stanton St John in Oxfordshire. Another notable figure was William Ogburn (1886-1959), an American sociologist and statistician who made significant contributions to the field of social research.
Other individuals with the OGBURN surname include John Ogburn (1609-1686), an English Puritan minister who immigrated to New England in the 17th century, and William Fielding Ogburn (1886-1959), an American sociologist and statistician known for his work on cultural lag theory.
The OGBURN name has also been linked to various place names across England, such as Hogburn Plantation in Cambridgeshire and Hogburn Farm in Bedfordshire. These place names likely derived from the original Old English words that gave rise to the surname, further reinforcing its connection to specific geographical locations.
Over the centuries, the OGBURN surname has endured and spread across various regions, with descendants bearing this name contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on history. While the exact origins and early bearers of the name may be shrouded in the mists of time, its longevity and enduring presence serve as a testament to its historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ogburn
Among Census respondents with the surname Ogburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Black (23.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ogburn 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 Ogburn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.1% · 2,111
- Black or African American23.0% · 701
- Two or more races4.4% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ogburn
Ogburn 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
#10,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,182
+128 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 360 places
2020
#10,063
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,053
-129 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,772 | 3,054 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,132 | 3,182 | 1.08 | +128 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 360 places |
| 2020 | #10,063 | 3,053 | 1.02 | -129 bearers (-4.1%) | Up 69 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 Ogburn 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 | #10,132 | #10,063 | 0.7% |
| Count | 3,182 | 3,053 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.02 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ogburn bearers went from 3,182 to 3,053 (-4.1% change). The surname moved up 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,132 to #10,063.
FAQ
Ogburn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ogburn?
Name Census estimates that about 3,501 living Americans carry the surname Ogburn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,902 residents.
How common is Ogburn?
Ogburn ranks #10,063 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,053 people with the surname Ogburn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Ogburn.
Has Ogburn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ogburn went from 3,182 recorded bearers to 3,053. That is a decrease of 129 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,132 to #10,063.
What does the Census say about the background of Ogburn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ogburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Black (23.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Ogburn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.1% (2,111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ogburn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.1%), Black (23.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Ogburn (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 Ogburn mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "oak tree stream," likely referring to a person who lived near such a stream. 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 Ogburn (1.02 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 are called Ogburn?
Find out how many people have the surname Ogburn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.