Find out how popular the last name Abolafia is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Abolafia.

Abolafia, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Abolafia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abolafia in America

Abolafia is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abolafia surname appeared 167 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Abolafia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abolafia to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Abolafia

The surname Abolafia has its origins in the Sephardic Jewish community of medieval Spain. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic phrase "Abu al-Afiya," which means "father of good health" or "father of well-being." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or a descriptive epithet given to an individual known for their robust constitution or their ability to heal others.

The earliest documented instances of the Abolafia surname can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of Spain, such as Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia. During this period, many Sephardic Jews held prominent positions in fields like medicine, philosophy, and literature, contributing significantly to the cultural and intellectual landscape of the Iberian Peninsula.

One of the most notable figures associated with the Abolafia name is Abraham Abolafia, a renowned Kabbalist and mystic who lived from circa 1240 to 1292. Born in Aragon, Abolafia developed an influential system of mystical teachings centered on the symbolic power of Hebrew letters and their permutations. His writings, such as the "Book of the Letter Combination" and "The Path of Names," had a lasting impact on Jewish mysticism.

Another historical figure bearing the Abolafia surname is Jacob Abolafia, a 14th-century philosopher and theologian from Valencia. He is known for his work "The Fountain of Life," which explored the nature of the soul and its relationship with the divine.

In the 15th century, the Abolafia family, along with many other Sephardic Jews, was forced to leave Spain due to the Alhambra Decree and the Spanish Inquisition. Some members of the family found refuge in various parts of the Mediterranean region, including Italy, Greece, and the Ottoman Empire, while others settled in North Africa and the Middle East.

One notable individual from this period is Isaac Abolafia, a 16th-century rabbi and scholar who lived in Salonika (present-day Thessaloniki, Greece). He authored several works on Jewish law and ritual practices, contributing to the preservation of Sephardic traditions in the diaspora.

As the Abolafia family dispersed throughout the world, the surname underwent various spelling variations, such as Aboulaffia, Abolafya, and Abolafia. Despite the geographical distance and cultural assimilation, many families continued to carry the name as a testament to their Sephardic heritage and the rich history associated with it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abolafia

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Abolafia.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Abolafia was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Abolafia has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Abolafia was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Abolafia, please contact us.

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