2000
#3,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,526
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.90
Uncommon Last name
Bagwell
An English locational surname referring to someone who lived by a stream or well in a bag-shaped hollow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,253 Americans carry the last name Bagwell. That puts it at #3,547 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,459 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bagwell 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 Bagwell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,459
Census rank
#3,547
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,813 bearers of the surname Bagwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3547th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bagwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bagwell
The surname Bagwell originated in England during the late medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name Bagwell, a small village located near Tiverton in the county of Devon. The name is believed to derive from the Old English words "bagga" meaning "bag or pouch" and "well" meaning "stream or spring."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in tax rolls and parish records from the 13th and 14th centuries in Devon. Some of the earliest spellings include Baggewelle, Baggewelle, and Bagwelle. The name was also associated with the nearby village of Nymet Rowland, which was sometimes referred to as "Nymet Bagwell" in historical documents.
One of the earliest known references to the surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Devon from 1327, which mentions a John de Baggewelle. In the 15th century, a Thomas Bagwell was recorded as holding land near the village of Nymet Rowland in 1428.
During the Tudor period, the Bagwell family was well-established in Devon, with several members holding prominent positions in the local gentry. One notable figure was John Bagwell (c. 1480-1544), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Tiverton in 1539.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Bagwell family settled in Ireland, where they became part of the landed gentry in County Cork. One of the earliest Irish Bagwells was Richard Bagwell (c. 1620-1688), who acquired the estate of Marlefield near Clonmel.
Other notable individuals with the surname Bagwell include:
1. Richard Bagwell (1840-1918), an Irish historian and author best known for his work "Ireland Under the Tudors."
2. William Bagwell (1811-1888), an English clergyman and author of several theological works.
3. Philip Bagwell (1629-1698), an Irish landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.
4. Henry Bagwell (1591-1661), an English merchant and philanthropist who founded a school in Tiverton, Devon.
5. Edward Bagwell (1784-1856), an English artist and portrait painter who exhibited works at the Royal Academy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bagwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Bagwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bagwell 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 Bagwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 8,491
- Black or African American5.8% · 566
- Two or more races4.0% · 391
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 269
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bagwell
Bagwell 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
#3,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,324
-202 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 3.50
Rank movement Down 318 places
2020
#3,547
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,813
-511 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 3.28
Rank movement Down 87 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,142 | 10,526 | 3.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,460 | 10,324 | 3.50 | -202 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 318 places |
| 2020 | #3,547 | 9,813 | 3.28 | -511 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 87 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 Bagwell 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 | #3,460 | #3,547 | -2.5% |
| Count | 10,324 | 9,813 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.50 | 3.28 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bagwell bearers went from 10,324 to 9,813 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 87 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,460 to #3,547.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bagwell
FAQ
Bagwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bagwell?
Name Census estimates that about 11,253 living Americans carry the surname Bagwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,459 residents.
How common is Bagwell?
Bagwell ranks #3,547 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,813 people with the surname Bagwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,253), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bagwell.
Has Bagwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bagwell went from 10,324 recorded bearers to 9,813. That is a decrease of 511 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,460 to #3,547.
What does the Census say about the background of Bagwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bagwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Bagwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (8,491 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bagwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Black (5.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Bagwell (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 Bagwell mean?
An English locational surname referring to someone who lived by a stream or well in a bag-shaped hollow. 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 Bagwell (3.28 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 Bagwell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.