Jafus
Potentially from Hebrew meaning "beautiful flower" or "rose."
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Jafus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jafus today is around 93 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jafus births was 1917 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jafus. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Jafus is about 93 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Jafus' were born before 1943.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jafus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1917
9 babies that year
Average age
93
years old
1933 SSA rank
#3,899
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Jafus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jafus from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 9 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Jafus remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jafus 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 Jafus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jafus
The name Jafus is an ancient one with roots tracing back to the Phoenician civilization of the Levant region. The earliest known records of this name can be found in Phoenician inscriptions dating back to around the 8th century BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Phoenician root word "jps," which means "to gather" or "to assemble."
One of the earliest known historical figures bearing the name Jafus was a Phoenician merchant and explorer who lived in the 6th century BCE. His expeditions along the Mediterranean coast are documented in some ancient Greek texts, though few specific details about his life have survived.
In the 3rd century BCE, a renowned Carthaginian general named Jafus led the Punic forces against the Roman Republic during the Punic Wars. His tactical prowess and courage on the battlefield were celebrated by historians of the time, although his ultimate fate remains uncertain.
During the Byzantine Empire, a scholar and philosopher named Jafus of Alexandria made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy in the 5th century CE. His works on celestial mechanics and geometric proofs were widely studied and referenced by later scholars.
In the 9th century CE, a Persian poet and mystic known as Jafus al-Baghdadi gained recognition for his beautiful and profound verses on the themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition. His poetic legacy left a lasting impact on the literary traditions of the region.
Another notable figure bearing the name Jafus was a 12th-century Spanish architect and engineer who played a pivotal role in the construction of the famous Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba. His innovative designs and engineering solutions were instrumental in the successful completion of this architectural marvel.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Jafus, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human civilization.
People
Jafus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jafus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jafus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jafus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jafus 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Jafus a common name?
We classify Jafus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 14 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jafus most popular?
The single biggest year for Jafus was 1917, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jafus is about 93 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jafus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jafus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jafus in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Jafus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jafus in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jafus can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Jafus?
You can see how many Americans are named Jafus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.