Explore the Family Name Augustus
The meaning of Augustus
Dutch, German, English, Welsh, West Indian (mainly Trinidad and Tobago), and African (mainly Nigeria): from the Latin personal name Augustus (from the adjective augustus ‘consecrated, majestic, venerable’), or a Latinized (humanistic) form of German and English August. It was the Emperor Augustus (63 bc–14 ad), after whom it became conventional for Roman emperors to adopt Augustus as a title on their accession and in whose honor the month of August was named. The personal name became popular among early Christians, who read into it the implication that the bearer had become greater by being baptized. The surname Augustus is virtually non-existing in Germany.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Augustus in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Augustus" saw a slight rise between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 10,948 in terms of commonality among surnames in the United States, and by 2010, it had moved up to rank 10,697. This represents an increase of 2.29%. The actual count of individuals with this surname also increased from 2,667 in 2000 to 2,988 in 2010, showing a proportional growth of 12.04 per 100,000 people.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,948 | #10,697 | 2.29% |
| Count | 2,667 | 2,988 | 12.04% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.99 | 1.01 | 2.02% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Augustus
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Augustus, the 2010 U.S. Census data reveals some interesting trends. The proportion of those identifying as Black marginally increased from 61.64% in 2000 to 61.81% in 2010, while the percentage of White individuals decreased slightly, from 32.73% to 30.99%. Meanwhile, the representation of Hispanic individuals more than doubled from 1.50% to 3.28%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native representation also saw a significant rise from 0.22% to 0.40%. However, the number of those identifying with two or more races fell by 21.35%, and the Asian/Pacific Islander group saw a modest growth from 1.09% to 1.31%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 61.64% | 61.81% | 0.28% |
| White | 32.73% | 30.99% | -5.32% |
| Hispanic | 1.5% | 3.28% | 118.67% |
| Two or More Races | 2.81% | 2.21% | -21.35% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.09% | 1.31% | 20.18% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.22% | 0.4% | 81.82% |