Taff
A Welsh diminutive form of the name David, originally meaning "beloved".
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Taff. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Taff today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Taff births was 1967 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Taff. 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 Taff. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
1967
7 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
1973 SSA rank
#5,793
Tracked since 1955
Popularity
Taff: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Taff from the 1950s through to the 1970s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 12 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Taff 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 Taff 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 Taff
The given name Taff is a Welsh diminutive form of the name Taffydd, which is derived from the Welsh word "tafawd" meaning "voice" or "speech". It is believed to have originated in Wales during the Middle Ages, around the 11th to 13th centuries.
Historically, the name Taff was commonly used in Wales and surrounding regions where Welsh culture and language were prominent. It shares a similar root with the Welsh word "taflu" meaning "to throw" or "to cast", potentially alluding to the strong and forceful nature of speech or voice.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Taff can be found in the medieval Welsh poem "Arymes Prydein Vawr" (The Great Prophecy of Britain), written in the 10th century. The poem mentions a character named Taff, though it is unclear whether this was a real person or a symbolic figure.
In later centuries, the name Taff gained popularity among Welsh families and communities. Several notable individuals bearing this name have left their mark on history. One such example is Taff ap Llewelyn (c. 1260 - c. 1320), a Welsh landowner and nobleman who played a role in the conflicts between the Welsh and the English during the reign of King Edward I.
Another prominent figure was Taff ap Rhys (c. 1420 - c. 1490), a Welsh poet and bard known for his contributions to the literary tradition of the Welsh language. His works were widely celebrated and influenced subsequent generations of Welsh poets.
During the 16th century, Taff Goch (c. 1505 - c. 1580), a Welsh warrior and military leader, gained recognition for his bravery and leadership in defending Welsh territories against English forces. His exploits were documented in various historical accounts and folklore.
In the realm of religion, Taff ap Cynan (c. 1570 - c. 1640) was a Welsh clergyman and scholar who played a significant role in the translation of the Bible into Welsh. His work contributed to the preservation and dissemination of the Welsh language and culture.
Another noteworthy individual was Taff Jones (c. 1680 - c. 1750), a Welsh physician and naturalist who made important contributions to the study of botany and the classification of plants. His extensive research and writings on Welsh flora were highly regarded in his time.
While the name Taff was predominantly used in Wales and among Welsh communities, it has also been adopted in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with strong Welsh cultural influences or connections.
People
Taff + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Taff 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
Taff: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Taff?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Taff 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 14,281,431 US residents.
Is Taff a common name?
We classify Taff as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 28 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Taff most popular?
The single biggest year for Taff was 1967, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Taff is about 60 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 Taff in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Taff a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Taff 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 Taff still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Taff 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 Taff 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 named Taff?
Find out how many people share the name Taff on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.