2000
#2,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,853
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.88
Uncommon Last name
Maguire
Derived from the Irish surname Mag Uidhir, meaning "son of Odhar" (son of the dun or pale-colored one).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,337 Americans carry the last name Maguire. That puts it at #2,216 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,692 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maguire 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 Maguire with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 18,692
Census rank
#2,216
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,991 bearers of the surname Maguire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2216th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maguire, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maguire
The surname Maguire is an ancient Irish name that originated from County Fermanagh, Ulster province, Ireland. It is derived from the Gaelic surname Mag Uidhir, which means "son of Odhar" or "son of the dun-colored man". The name can be traced back to the 10th century, and it is believed to have originated from the Irish clan Ui Chremthainn.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Maguire can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which dates back to the 15th century. The annals mention several members of the Maguire clan, including Donal Maguire, who was the chief of the clan in the early 15th century.
The Maguire clan played a significant role in the historical events of Ireland, particularly during the Tudor conquest of Ireland in the 16th century. One of the most notable figures from this era was Hugh Maguire (c. 1500-1600), who was the Lord of Fermanagh and a leader of the Irish resistance against the English forces.
During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, Connor Maguire (1616-1645) was a prominent figure who led the Irish Confederates in Ulster. He was eventually captured and executed by the English forces.
Another notable Maguire was Thomas Maguire (1792-1854), an Irish Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively about the history of Ireland and the persecution of Irish Catholics during the Penal Laws.
In more recent times, Moira Maguire (1882-1974) was a renowned Irish artist and illustrator who was celebrated for her depictions of Irish folklore and mythology.
The name Maguire has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Maguiresbridge and Lisnaskea in County Fermanagh, reflecting the clan's historical presence and influence in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maguire
Among Census respondents with the surname Maguire, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Maguire 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 Maguire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 14,841
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 551
- Two or more races2.4% · 386
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 128
- Black or African American0.4% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maguire
Maguire 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
#2,173
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,713
+860 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 5.67
Rank movement Down 73 places
2020
#2,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,991
-722 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 5.35
Rank movement Down 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,100 | 15,853 | 5.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,173 | 16,713 | 5.67 | +860 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 73 places |
| 2020 | #2,216 | 15,991 | 5.35 | -722 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 43 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 Maguire 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 | #2,173 | #2,216 | -2.0% |
| Count | 16,713 | 15,991 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 5.67 | 5.35 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maguire bearers went from 16,713 to 15,991 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,173 to #2,216.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Maguire
FAQ
Maguire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maguire?
Name Census estimates that about 18,337 living Americans carry the surname Maguire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,692 residents.
How common is Maguire?
Maguire ranks #2,216 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,991 people with the surname Maguire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,337), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Maguire.
Has Maguire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maguire went from 16,713 recorded bearers to 15,991. That is a decrease of 722 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,173 to #2,216.
What does the Census say about the background of Maguire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maguire, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Maguire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (14,841 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maguire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Maguire (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 Maguire mean?
Derived from the Irish surname Mag Uidhir, meaning "son of Odhar" (son of the dun or pale-colored one). 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 Maguire (5.35 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 Americans have the surname Maguire?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.