2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pugay
A surname derived from the Visayan word "pugay" meaning respect or reverence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Pugay. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pugay 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Pugay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pugay, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pugay
The surname PUGAY is believed to have originated in the Philippines. It is considered a Hispanic-sounding surname that may have derived from the Spanish language or been influenced by Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
One theory suggests that PUGAY is related to the Spanish word "pugna," which means struggle or conflict. This could imply that the name was associated with someone who had overcome adversity or fought in battles. However, the exact etymology is uncertain, and the name's roots may trace back to other languages or regions.
Historical records mentioning the surname PUGAY are scarce, as many early documents from the Philippines were lost or destroyed over time. However, some scholars believe that the name may have been present in the region as early as the 16th or 17th century, during the Spanish colonial era.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname PUGAY was Juan PUGAY, a landowner and farmer who lived in the province of Pampanga in the late 18th century. Another notable figure was Mariano PUGAY, a revolutionary soldier who fought against Spanish colonial rule in the 1890s.
In the 20th century, several individuals with the PUGAY surname gained recognition in various fields. For example, Ernesto PUGAY (1912-1988) was a renowned Filipino artist known for his landscape paintings and murals. Josefa PUGAY (1920-2005) was a respected educator and women's rights activist who advocated for equal opportunities in education.
Another notable individual was Alfredo PUGAY (1930-2010), a celebrated writer and poet who contributed significantly to the literary scene in the Philippines. His works often explored themes of love, nature, and the struggles of everyday life.
While the PUGAY surname may have originated in the Philippines, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and global connections. However, its earliest roots and historical significance remain closely tied to the Philippine archipelago and its rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pugay
Among Census respondents with the surname Pugay, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pugay 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 Pugay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.4% · 109
- White3.4% · 4
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pugay
Pugay appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+13 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,396 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 11,396 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 Pugay 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 | #154,907 | #143,511 | 7.4% |
| Count | 105 | 118 | 12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pugay bearers went from 105 to 118 (+12.4% change). The surname moved up 11,396 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #143,511.
FAQ
Pugay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pugay?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Pugay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Pugay?
Pugay ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Pugay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Pugay.
Has Pugay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pugay went from 105 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 13 (+12.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Pugay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pugay, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pugay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pugay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.4%), White (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Pugay (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 Pugay mean?
A surname derived from the Visayan word "pugay" meaning respect or reverence. 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 Pugay (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Pugay?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.