2000
#4,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,475
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.40
Rare Last name
Tuggle
An English occupational surname referring to a toggler, one who made toggles or fasteners for clothing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,969 Americans carry the last name Tuggle. That puts it at #5,529 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,183 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tuggle 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
7.0K
1 in 49,183
Census rank
#5,529
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,077 bearers of the surname Tuggle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5529th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tuggle, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tuggle
The surname Tuggle has its origins in England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tucian," which means "to pull" or "to tug." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade, possibly a carter or someone who transported goods by horse-drawn cart.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tuggle can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a William Tugel is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time. Another notable mention comes from the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1279, which lists a John Tuggel.
During the 13th century, the surname Tuggle was primarily concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire. Some historical references point to the name being associated with certain place names, such as Tuggall Farm in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, and Tuggel's Croft in Burford, Oxfordshire.
Among notable individuals bearing the Tuggle surname, one can mention Robert Tuggle (1504-1559), a prosperous landowner and farmer from Oxfordshire. Another prominent figure was John Tuggle (1620-1686), a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, known for his philanthropic endeavors.
In the 18th century, the name gained recognition through the work of William Tuggle (1718-1788), a renowned clockmaker from Oxfordshire. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the gentry and aristocracy of the time.
Moving into the 19th century, a notable figure was Elizabeth Tuggle (1822-1897), a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for girls in Oxfordshire. Her efforts paved the way for greater educational opportunities for women in the region.
The Tuggle surname has also been carried by individuals who made significant contributions in various fields, such as Henry Tuggle (1856-1924), a respected botanist and curator at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, and Sir Charles Tuggle (1876-1942), a distinguished military officer who served in both the Boer War and World War I.
While the surname Tuggle may have originated from humble beginnings, it has endured through the centuries, with its bearers leaving their mark across diverse areas of society, from agriculture and commerce to education and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tuggle
Among Census respondents with the surname Tuggle, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tuggle 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 Tuggle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.6% · 4,050
- Black or African American24.9% · 1,511
- Two or more races4.6% · 281
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 157
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tuggle
Tuggle 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
#5,285
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,589
+114 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 2.23
Rank movement Down 306 places
2020
#5,529
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,077
-512 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 2.03
Rank movement Down 244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,979 | 6,475 | 2.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,285 | 6,589 | 2.23 | +114 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 306 places |
| 2020 | #5,529 | 6,077 | 2.03 | -512 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 244 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 Tuggle 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 | #5,285 | #5,529 | -4.6% |
| Count | 6,589 | 6,077 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.23 | 2.03 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tuggle bearers went from 6,589 to 6,077 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 244 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,285 to #5,529.
FAQ
Tuggle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tuggle?
Name Census estimates that about 6,969 living Americans carry the surname Tuggle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,183 residents.
How common is Tuggle?
Tuggle ranks #5,529 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,077 people with the surname Tuggle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,969), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Tuggle.
Has Tuggle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tuggle went from 6,589 recorded bearers to 6,077. That is a decrease of 512 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,285 to #5,529.
What does the Census say about the background of Tuggle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tuggle, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tuggle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.6% (4,050 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tuggle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.6%), Black (24.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Tuggle (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 Tuggle mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a toggler, one who made toggles or fasteners for clothing. 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 Tuggle (2.03 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 share the surname Tuggle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.