Tafari
One having the highest power, from the Amharic language.
Name Census estimates that about 932 living Americans carry the first name Tafari. It is a predominantly male name (99.4% of registrations). The average person named Tafari today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tafari births was 2023 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tafari. 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
932
~ 1 in 367,762 Americans
Peak year
2023
51 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,760
Tracked since 1978
Gender
Gender distribution for Tafari
Out of the 947 babies given the name Tafari since 1880, 99.4% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Tafari as a male name
- Ranked #3,760 in 2024
- 30 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (51 births)
Tafari as a female name
- Ranked #16,020 in 2016
- 6 female births in 2016
- Peak: 2016 (6 births)
Popularity
Tafari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tafari from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 250 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Tafari remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tafari 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 Tafari during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tafaris live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. New York, Florida, California recorded the most babies named Tafari, while New Jersey, North Carolina, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 67 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tafari
The name Tafari has its origins in the Amharic language of Ethiopia. It is derived from the Amharic word "teferi," which means "he who is revered" or "one who is respected."
The name Tafari has been in use in Ethiopia for centuries, with some of the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed that the name was initially used by members of the Solomonic dynasty, which ruled Ethiopia from the 13th to the 20th century.
One of the most notable historical figures to bear the name Tafari was Ras Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), who later became known as Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. He was born Tafari Makonnen and was given the title "Ras," which means "head" or "prince." Ras Tafari ascended to the throne in 1930 and took the throne name Haile Selassie I, which means "Power of the Trinity."
Another prominent historical figure named Tafari was Tafari Banti (1804-1882), who was a military leader and nobleman in the Ethiopian Empire during the 19th century. He served as the governor of several provinces and played a significant role in the expansion of the empire.
In the realm of literature, Tafari is the name of a character in the 1962 novel "The Afro-American," written by the Ghanaian author and poet Frank Parkin. The novel explores themes of identity and cultural heritage in the context of the African diaspora.
Other notable individuals who have borne the name Tafari include Tafari Beyene (1936-2005), an Ethiopian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Tafari Mulatu (born 1948), an Ethiopian athlete who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
Throughout history, the name Tafari has been associated with respect, reverence, and leadership, reflecting its Amharic roots. It has been carried by rulers, military leaders, politicians, and individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities and societies.
People
Tafari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tafari 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
Tafari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tafari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 932 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tafari 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 367,762 US residents.
Is Tafari a common name?
We classify Tafari as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 947 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tafari most popular?
The single biggest year for Tafari was 2023, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tafari is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tafari a male name?
Yes, 99.4% of people registered as Tafari 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.
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.