2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Smegal
A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "small" or "slender."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Smegal. 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 Smegal 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 Smegal 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 Smegal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smegal
The surname SMEGAL has its origins in the rolling hills and verdant meadows of the English countryside, where it first took root during the tumultuous years of the Norman Conquest. Derived from the Old English word "smægel," meaning "slender" or "lithe," the name initially referred to someone with a slim, graceful physique.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a certain Aelfric Smegel is listed as a landowner in the county of Wiltshire. This ancient document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides a invaluable glimpse into the lives and landholdings of the English populace during that pivotal era.
As the centuries passed, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Smegall, Smegill, and Smeghyll, reflecting the fluid nature of orthography in those times. In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir John Smegall, a valiant knight who fought alongside Edward III at the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War.
The SMEGAL name also found its way into the annals of literature, with one of its earliest recorded bearers being the poet and playwright, Thomas Smegall (1560-1628), whose works were celebrated for their lyrical beauty and biting social commentary.
In the 19th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of Emily SMEGAL (1815-1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. Her tireless efforts paved the way for greater educational opportunities for girls and women across the country.
Another notable figure was Sir Arthur SMEGAL (1875-1948), a renowned botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the field of plant taxonomy. His daring expeditions to remote regions of the world yielded numerous new species and expanded our understanding of the planet's rich biodiversity.
While the SMEGAL name may have evolved and dispersed across the globe, its roots remain firmly embedded in the fertile soil of English history, a testament to the enduring legacy of those who bore it through the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smegal
Among Census respondents with the surname Smegal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Smegal 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 Smegal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 110
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smegal
Smegal 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
-4 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,811 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-14 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 10,811 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 14,464 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 Smegal 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 | #129,047 | #143,511 | -11.2% |
| Count | 132 | 118 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smegal bearers went from 132 to 118 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 14,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #143,511.
FAQ
Smegal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smegal?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Smegal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Smegal?
Smegal 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 Smegal. 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 Smegal.
Has Smegal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smegal went from 132 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Smegal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smegal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Smegal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smegal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Black (1.7%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Smegal (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 Smegal mean?
A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "small" or "slender." 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 Smegal (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 people have the last name Smegal?
Want to know how many people have the surname Smegal? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.