2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Szigethy
A Hungarian surname likely derived from a place name containing the word "sziget" meaning island.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Szigethy. 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 Szigethy 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 Szigethy 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 Szigethy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Szigethy
The surname SZIGETHY has its origins in Hungary, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Hungarian word "sziget," meaning "island," and likely referred to someone who lived on an island or near a body of water. It is possible that the name was also influenced by the German word "Sziget," which has a similar meaning.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SZIGETHY can be found in the Hungarian National Archives, where a document from 1587 mentions a nobleman named Istvan SZIGETHY. This suggests that the name was already established among the Hungarian nobility during the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, the name SZIGETHY appeared in several historical records related to the Ottoman-Hungarian wars. For example, a military report from 1683 mentions a soldier named Janos SZIGETHY who fought in the Battle of Vienna against the Ottoman Empire.
During the 18th century, the SZIGETHY name became more widespread throughout Hungary and neighboring regions. One notable bearer of the name was Miklos SZIGETHY (1720-1792), a Hungarian philosopher and educator who wrote extensively on the importance of practical education.
As the SZIGETHY family grew and spread across Hungary, the name also underwent slight variations in spelling, such as SZIGETHŸ, SZIGETHI, and SZYGETHŸ. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and inconsistencies in record-keeping.
In the 19th century, several prominent figures with the SZIGETHY surname emerged. Karoly SZIGETHY (1824-1897) was a renowned Hungarian architect who designed numerous iconic buildings in Budapest, including the Vigado Concert Hall and the National Museum.
Another notable SZIGETHY from this period was Ilona SZIGETHY (1878-1945), a Hungarian writer and feminist activist who campaigned for women's rights and education reforms. Her works, including the novel "A Rebel Heart," shed light on the struggles faced by women in late 19th-century Hungary.
As the SZIGETHY name spread beyond Hungary's borders, it also found its way into other regions and countries. In the early 20th century, Gabor SZIGETHY (1901-1978), a Hungarian-American engineer, made significant contributions to the development of television technology while working for companies like Philco and RCA.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Szigethy
Among Census respondents with the surname Szigethy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Szigethy 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 Szigethy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Szigethy
Szigethy 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,524 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+16 bearers (+15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,921 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 13,524 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.7%) | Up 14,921 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 Szigethy 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 | #158,432 | #143,511 | 9.4% |
| Count | 102 | 118 | 15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 31.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Szigethy bearers went from 102 to 118 (+15.7% change). The surname moved up 14,921 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #143,511.
FAQ
Szigethy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Szigethy?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Szigethy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Szigethy?
Szigethy 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 Szigethy. 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 Szigethy.
Has Szigethy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Szigethy went from 102 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 16 (+15.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Szigethy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Szigethy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Szigethy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Szigethy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (6.8%), 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 Szigethy (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 Szigethy mean?
A Hungarian surname likely derived from a place name containing the word "sziget" meaning island. 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 Szigethy (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 Szigethy?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Szigethy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.