2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pughe
A surname derived from the Welsh word 'pwch' meaning a ridge or hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Pughe. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pughe 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 Pughe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Pughe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pughe, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pughe
The surname PUGHE is believed to have originated in Wales, likely during the medieval period. It is derived from the Welsh word "pŵg," which means a stack or rick of hay, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with hay or lived near a haystack.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PUGHE can be found in the Records of the Lordship of Ruthin, a collection of legal documents from the 14th century. In these records, a person named Gruffydd ap Pughe is mentioned, indicating the use of the surname in that region during that time.
The name PUGHE is also found in the Peniarth Manuscripts, a collection of Welsh manuscripts dating back to the 13th century. These manuscripts contain various literary works, genealogies, and historical records, providing valuable insights into the use and prevalence of surnames in medieval Wales.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname PUGHE was William Pughe (1551-1635), a Welsh clergyman and author. He served as the rector of Trawsfynydd in Merionethshire and wrote several works, including a translation of the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh.
Another prominent individual with the surname PUGHE was William Owen Pughe (1759-1835), a Welsh scholar and lexicographer. He is best known for his work on preserving and documenting the Welsh language, including publishing dictionaries and grammars that helped standardize the language.
In the 18th century, John Pughe (1730-1801) was a Welsh merchant and landowner from Montgomeryshire. He was involved in the trade of Welsh wool and became a prominent figure in his local community, serving as a justice of the peace and deputy lieutenant.
Evan Pughe (1808-1889) was a Welsh clergyman and author who lived in the 19th century. He served as the rector of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Montgomeryshire and published several works related to Welsh history and literature, including a translation of the "Mabinogion" into English.
The surname PUGHE has its roots deeply intertwined with Welsh history and culture, with many individuals bearing this name contributing significantly to the preservation and advancement of the Welsh language and literature throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pughe
Among Census respondents with the surname Pughe, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pughe 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 Pughe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 95
- Black or African American11.8% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pughe
Pughe 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+18 bearers (+18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,296 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-8 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,306 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+18.0%) | Up 9,296 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 8,306 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 Pughe 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 | #141,140 | #149,446 | -5.9% |
| Count | 118 | 110 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pughe bearers went from 118 to 110 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 8,306 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #149,446.
FAQ
Pughe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pughe?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Pughe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Pughe?
Pughe ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Pughe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Pughe.
Has Pughe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pughe went from 118 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Pughe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pughe, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Pughe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pughe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Black (11.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Pughe (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 Pughe mean?
A surname derived from the Welsh word 'pwch' meaning a ridge or hill. 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 Pughe (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 common is the surname Pughe?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Pughe, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.