2000
#18,701
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,357
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.50
Rare Last name
Pough
A variant spelling of the English surname Pew, an occupational name for a maker of seats or benches.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,629 Americans carry the last name Pough. That puts it at #19,117 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 210,408 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pough 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
1.6K
1 in 210,408
Census rank
#19,117
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,421 bearers of the surname Pough in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19117th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pough, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pough
The surname Pough is believed to have originated in Germany, with some records indicating its presence as early as the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Poch," which means "to strike" or "to beat," potentially referring to an occupation or a descriptive characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pough can be found in the German town of Freiburg, where a blacksmith named Hans Pough was mentioned in a local register dating back to 1587. This connection to the metalworking trade aligns with the potential occupation-based origin of the name.
In the 17th century, the surname Pough began to appear in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and the Rhineland. During this time, the name was sometimes spelled as "Pogh" or "Poegh," reflecting the variations in regional dialects and record-keeping practices.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Pough was Johann Pough, a Lutheran pastor born in Heidelberg in 1643. He was known for his sermons and theological writings, which influenced the religious landscape of his time.
As German immigrants began to settle in North America in the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Pough was carried across the Atlantic. One of the earliest recorded instances in the United States was Jacob Pough, a farmer from Pennsylvania who was listed in the 1790 census.
Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Pough, a German-American businessman born in 1822 in Bavaria. He established a successful brewing company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which contributed to the city's thriving beer industry in the late 19th century.
In the 20th century, the name Pough gained recognition through the achievements of individuals like Robert Pough, an American architect born in 1899. He designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Additionally, Eloise Greenfield Pough, an African American author and educator born in 1929, made significant contributions to children's literature with her award-winning books celebrating diversity and cultural heritage.
While the surname Pough may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left its mark on various fields throughout history, from religion and business to architecture and literature, showcasing the diverse paths taken by those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pough
Among Census respondents with the surname Pough, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Pough 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 Pough surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American83.8% · 1,191
- White9.4% · 133
- Two or more races4.1% · 58
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pough
Pough 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
#18,584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,483
+126 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Up 117 places
2020
#19,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,421
-62 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Down 533 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,701 | 1,357 | 0.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,584 | 1,483 | 0.50 | +126 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 117 places |
| 2020 | #19,117 | 1,421 | 0.48 | -62 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 533 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 Pough 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 | #18,584 | #19,117 | -2.9% |
| Count | 1,483 | 1,421 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.50 | 0.48 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pough bearers went from 1,483 to 1,421 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 533 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,584 to #19,117.
FAQ
Pough surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pough?
Name Census estimates that about 1,629 living Americans carry the surname Pough. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 210,408 residents.
How common is Pough?
Pough ranks #19,117 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.48 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 1,421 people with the surname Pough. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,629), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.48 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 Pough.
Has Pough become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pough went from 1,483 recorded bearers to 1,421. That is a decrease of 62 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,584 to #19,117.
What does the Census say about the background of Pough?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pough, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pough in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (1,191 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pough appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (83.8%), White (9.4%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Pough (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 Pough mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Pew, an occupational name for a maker of seats or benches. 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 Pough (0.48 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 common is the surname Pough?
Want to know how many people are called Pough? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.