Buffie
A diminutive of the name Elizabeth, of English origin.
Name Census estimates that about 772 living Americans carry the first name Buffie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Buffie today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Buffie births was 1970 (92 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Buffie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
772
~ 1 in 443,982 Americans
Peak year
1970
92 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
1985 SSA rank
#9,442
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Buffie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Buffie from the 1950s through to the 1980s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 576 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Buffie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Buffie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Buffies live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. Georgia, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Buffie, while Virginia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Buffie
The name Buffie is believed to have originated from the Old French word "buffe," which means "to strike" or "to buffet." This name likely emerged during the Middle Ages in France and was initially used as a nickname or pet name for someone who was considered a rough or boisterous individual.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Buffie can be found in the 13th-century French poem "Roman de la Rose," where it is mentioned as a character's name. However, it is important to note that the spelling and pronunciation of names during this period were often inconsistent, and the name may have appeared in various forms.
In the 16th century, a French noblewoman named Buffie de Montmorency was known for her involvement in the French Wars of Religion. She was born in 1547 and died in 1615. Her name became associated with the Protestant Huguenot movement, which she supported.
Another notable figure with the name Buffie was Buffie Lamartine, a French poet and political figure who lived from 1790 to 1869. He is best known for his romantic poetry and his involvement in the French Revolution of 1848.
In the 19th century, Buffie Gautier was a French novelist and art critic who lived from 1811 to 1872. He was a prominent figure in the Parisian literary and artistic circles of his time and is remembered for his works such as "Mademoiselle de Maupin" and "Captain Fracasse."
Moving to the 20th century, Buffie Apollinaire was a French poet and critic who lived from 1880 to 1918. He was a leading figure in the avant-garde literary movement and is known for his experimental poetry and his involvement in the development of Cubism and Surrealism.
While the name Buffie has its roots in French history and culture, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world. However, it is important to note that the name's popularity and usage have varied over time and across different regions.
People
Buffie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Buffie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Buffie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Buffie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 772 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Buffie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 443,982 US residents.
Is Buffie a common name?
We classify Buffie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 869 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Buffie most popular?
The single biggest year for Buffie was 1970, when 92 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Buffie is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Buffie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Buffie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.