Taaffe
Of English origin, meaning "one who lives near the river crossing."
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Taaffe. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Taaffe today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Taaffe births was 1978 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Taaffe. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Taaffe. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1978
7 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
1978 SSA rank
#8,446
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Taaffe: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Taaffe 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 Taaffe during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Taaffe
The given name Taaffe has its origins in the Irish Gaelic language, emerging during the medieval period. It is derived from the ancient Irish word "táfach," which translates to "scorching" or "burning," likely referring to a person with a fiery temperament or reddish complexion.
The name Taaffe is believed to have first appeared in historical records around the 12th century, during the Norman invasion of Ireland. It was initially adopted by members of the Taaffee family, a prominent Anglo-Irish dynasty that settled in County Louth, Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Taaffe can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention Sir John Taaffe, a notable figure in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, who played a significant role in the conflict against English rule.
Throughout history, several individuals bearing the name Taaffe have left their mark. Among them is Theobald Taaffe (1678-1766), an Irish Jacobite and military commander who fought for the Stuart cause during the Williamite War in Ireland. Another notable figure is Francis Taaffe (1639-1701), an Irish-born Austrian field marshal who served in the Imperial Army during the Great Turkish War.
In the realm of literature, the name Taaffe is associated with Nicholas Taaffe (1677-1769), an Irish poet and satirist known for his works criticizing the political and social conditions of his time. His contemporary, Michael Taaffe (1677-1741), was a renowned theologian and author of several religious treatises.
Moving into the modern era, one of the most recognizable individuals with the name Taaffe was Jack Taaffe (1907-1988), an Australian cricketer who played Test matches for the national team during the 1930s.
It is worth noting that while the name Taaffe has its roots in Ireland, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, particularly in Australia, the United States, and Canada, due to Irish immigration and cultural exchange.
People
Taaffe + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Taaffe as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Taaffe: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Taaffe?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Taaffe 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Taaffe a common name?
We classify Taaffe as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Taaffe most popular?
The single biggest year for Taaffe was 1978, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Taaffe is about 51 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 Taaffe in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Taaffe a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Taaffe 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.
Is Taaffe still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Taaffe 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 Taaffe 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 have the name Taaffe?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Taaffe, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.