Find out how popular the last name Pugh is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pugh.

Pugh, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pugh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pugh in America

Pugh is the 879th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pugh surname appeared 39,559 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Pugh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pugh to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pugh

The surname PUGH is of Welsh origin, derived from the Welsh word 'pwgh', meaning a raised mound or hill. This name originated in the regions of Wales, where it was used to identify people who lived near or on a particular mound or hill.

The name PUGH can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various forms such as 'Pughe', 'Poughe', and 'Pwgh'. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Red Book of St. Asaph, a 14th-century manuscript from the Diocese of St. Asaph in North Wales.

In the 16th century, the name PUGH was associated with the town of Mathafarn, located in the Montgomeryshire region of Wales. The town's name was derived from the Welsh words 'math' (good) and 'afarn' (bakery), suggesting that the area was known for its high-quality bakeries.

Among the notable individuals bearing the PUGH surname, one can mention Gruffydd ap Rhys Pugh (c. 1480-1554), a Welsh landowner and Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire. Another prominent figure was John Pugh (1599-1679), a Welsh clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Racton in Sussex, England.

In the 18th century, the name PUGH gained recognition with the birth of Ellis Pugh (1731-1790), a Welsh-born American Baptist minister and educator. He played a significant role in the establishment of several educational institutions in New England, including Brown University.

During the 19th century, William Pugh (1805-1892) was a Welsh-born American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the coal mining industry. He donated generously to various educational and cultural institutions in Pennsylvania.

The name PUGH also has connections to the literary world, with the poet Sheenagh Pugh (born 1950) being a notable bearer of this surname. Her works have been widely published and acclaimed, earning her recognition as one of the leading Welsh poets of her generation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pugh

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pugh.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pugh was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pugh has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pugh was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pugh, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!