2000
#2,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,012
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.82
Uncommon Last name
Suggs
An English occupational surname derived from the Old Norse word "sugga," meaning a female pig or a wet nurse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,674 Americans carry the last name Suggs. That puts it at #2,743 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,358 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Suggs 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
15K
1 in 23,358
Census rank
#2,743
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,796 bearers of the surname Suggs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2743rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Suggs, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.8%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Suggs
The surname Suggs has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Sugga," which was a diminutive form of the name "Sug" or "Suge." The name is thought to be related to the Old English word "sugu," meaning "hog" or "pig."
The earliest recorded instance of the name Suggs can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions a landowner named "Sugga" in the county of Norfolk.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with different spellings, such as "Sugge," "Sugges," and "Sugg." One notable example is John Sugge, a merchant from the city of London who was mentioned in records from the year 1275.
In the 14th century, the name Suggs was associated with several place names in England, including Sugg's Farm in Oxfordshire and Suggs Barn in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Suggs who owned or resided in those locations.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Suggs was William Suggs, born around 1415 in Warwickshire, England. He served as a soldier during the Wars of the Roses and fought in the Battle of Towton in 1461.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Suggs, born in 1532 in Somerset, England. She was a prominent landowner and philanthropist who donated funds for the construction of a church in her hometown.
In the 17th century, the name Suggs gained further recognition with the birth of Sir Thomas Suggs (1620-1692), a wealthy merchant and member of the East India Company. He played a significant role in establishing trade routes between England and India.
During the 18th century, the Suggs family established themselves in the county of Gloucestershire, where they were known for their involvement in agriculture and local politics. One prominent member was John Suggs (1745-1821), who served as the mayor of Gloucester from 1799 to 1801.
In the 19th century, the name Suggs was associated with the industrial revolution in England. James Suggs (1810-1876) was a successful textile manufacturer and entrepreneur who owned several mills in the city of Manchester.
Throughout history, the surname Suggs has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, merchants, landowners, politicians, and industrialists. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark on the historical records of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Suggs
Among Census respondents with the surname Suggs, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.8%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Suggs 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 Suggs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.8% · 7,009
- Black or African American36.9% · 4,716
- Two or more races4.8% · 617
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 344
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Suggs
Suggs 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
#2,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,585
+573 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 4.61
Rank movement Down 99 places
2020
#2,743
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,796
-789 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 4.28
Rank movement Down 91 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,553 | 13,012 | 4.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,652 | 13,585 | 4.61 | +573 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 99 places |
| 2020 | #2,743 | 12,796 | 4.28 | -789 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 91 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 Suggs 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 | #2,652 | #2,743 | -3.4% |
| Count | 13,585 | 12,796 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.61 | 4.28 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Suggs bearers went from 13,585 to 12,796 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 91 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,652 to #2,743.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Suggs
FAQ
Suggs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Suggs?
Name Census estimates that about 14,674 living Americans carry the surname Suggs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,358 residents.
How common is Suggs?
Suggs ranks #2,743 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,796 people with the surname Suggs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,674), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Suggs.
Has Suggs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Suggs went from 13,585 recorded bearers to 12,796. That is a decrease of 789 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,652 to #2,743.
What does the Census say about the background of Suggs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Suggs, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.8%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Suggs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.8% (7,009 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Suggs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.8%), Black (36.9%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Suggs (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 Suggs mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the Old Norse word "sugga," meaning a female pig or a wet nurse. 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 Suggs (4.28 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 have the last name Suggs?
Find out how many people are called Suggs on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.