2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Pughsley
From a place name derived from Old English words meaning "puck's" or "goblin's lea" (meadow or clearing).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Pughsley. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pughsley 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Pughsley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pughsley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 63.9%. The next largest groups are White (26.1%) and Two or More Races (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pughsley
The surname Pughsley has its origins in England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "pugh," meaning a small hill or mound, and "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small hill or mound in a meadow or clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pughsley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1196, where a certain Richard de Pughsley is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that region by the late 12th century.
The Pughsley surname is also thought to have ties to the village of Pugeley in Staffordshire, which was recorded as "Pughesleye" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This place name likely shares the same linguistic roots as the surname, further reinforcing the name's origins.
Over the centuries, the Pughsley surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Pugsley, Pugsleigh, Puggesleye, and Puggsley. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during the Middle Ages.
Among notable individuals with the Pughsley surname throughout history are:
1. Sir William Pughsley (1428-1498), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire during the Wars of the Roses.
2. John Pughsley (1562-1627), an English composer and organist who served in the Chapel Royal during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.
3. Elizabeth Pughsley (1685-1753), a poet and dramatist whose works were published in several anthologies of the early 18th century.
4. Thomas Pughsley (1754-1824), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
5. Mary Pughsley (1823-1901), a philanthropist and social reformer who founded several charitable organizations in London aimed at improving the lives of the urban poor.
The Pughsley surname has endured through the centuries, reflecting the rich history and heritage of the English people. While its origins may be rooted in a humble description of a geographical feature, the name has been borne by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from the arts and military to philanthropy and social reform.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pughsley
Among Census respondents with the surname Pughsley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 63.9%. The next largest groups are White (26.1%) and Two or More Races (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pughsley 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 Pughsley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American63.9% · 76
- White26.1% · 31
- Two or more races7.6% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pughsley
Pughsley 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+3 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,915 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,925 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 5,915 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,925 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 Pughsley 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 | #133,863 | #142,788 | -6.7% |
| Count | 126 | 119 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pughsley bearers went from 126 to 119 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,925 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #142,788.
FAQ
Pughsley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pughsley?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Pughsley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Pughsley?
Pughsley ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Pughsley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Pughsley.
Has Pughsley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pughsley went from 126 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Pughsley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pughsley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 63.9%. The next largest groups are White (26.1%) and Two or More Races (7.6%). 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 Pughsley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.9% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pughsley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (63.9%), White (26.1%), Two or More Races (7.6%). 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 Pughsley (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 Pughsley mean?
From a place name derived from Old English words meaning "puck's" or "goblin's lea" (meadow or clearing). 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 Pughsley (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 Pughsley?
Want to know how many people have the last name Pughsley? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.