2000
#26,694
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 858
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Very Rare Last name
Phegley
An English surname denoting someone from a locally named place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 928 Americans carry the last name Phegley. That puts it at #30,813 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 369,347 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Phegley 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
928
1 in 369,347
Census rank
#30,813
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
809
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 809 bearers of the surname Phegley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30813th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Phegley, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Phegley
The surname Phegley has its origins in the German language, tracing back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Fege," meaning "broom" or "sweeper," suggesting a possible occupational origin for those who worked as sweepers or cleaners.
The earliest known record of the Phegley name can be found in historical documents from the region of Bavaria, where it was spelled as "Pheglein" or "Pheglauer." These early variations likely evolved from the diminutive form of the German word "Fege," indicating a connection to a specific profession or location.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Phegley surname began to appear in various German-speaking regions, including parts of modern-day Austria and Switzerland. One notable individual from this era was Johann Phegley (1672-1738), a merchant and landowner from the town of Augsburg, who left behind a significant legacy in the local community.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent further modifications and adaptations. In the early 19th century, records show a family by the name of Phegley residing in the Netherlands, possibly indicating migration from German-speaking areas.
One of the earliest known instances of the Phegley surname in North America can be traced back to the mid-19th century when Christian Phegley (1812-1886), a farmer from Baden, Germany, immigrated to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Phegley surname, including:
1. Hans Phegley (1542-1612), a German mathematician and astronomer known for his contributions to the development of the Gregorian calendar.
2. Anna Phegley (1765-1838), a Swiss painter renowned for her landscape and portrait works during the Romantic era.
3. Wilhelm Phegley (1879-1957), a German-born American engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
4. Katarina Phegley (1901-1978), a Swedish novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of family, love, and societal norms.
5. Peter Phegley (1922-2003), an Australian politician and member of the House of Representatives, known for his advocacy of environmental conservation efforts.
While the Phegley surname may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark across various fields, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who carried this name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Phegley
Among Census respondents with the surname Phegley, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Phegley 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 Phegley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 767
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 24
- Two or more races1.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Phegley
Phegley 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
#29,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 816
-42 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 2,370 places
2020
#30,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 809
-7 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 1,749 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,694 | 858 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,064 | 816 | 0.28 | -42 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 2,370 places |
| 2020 | #30,813 | 809 | 0.27 | -7 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,749 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 Phegley 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 | #29,064 | #30,813 | -6.0% |
| Count | 816 | 809 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.27 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Phegley bearers went from 816 to 809 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,749 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,064 to #30,813.
FAQ
Phegley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Phegley?
Name Census estimates that about 928 living Americans carry the surname Phegley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 369,347 residents.
How common is Phegley?
Phegley ranks #30,813 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 809 people with the surname Phegley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (928), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Phegley.
Has Phegley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Phegley went from 816 recorded bearers to 809. That is a decrease of 7 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #29,064 to #30,813.
What does the Census say about the background of Phegley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Phegley, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Phegley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (767 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Phegley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Phegley (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 Phegley mean?
An English surname denoting someone from a locally named place. 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 Phegley (0.27 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 Phegley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.