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

Afana, 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 Afana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Afana in America

Afana is the 148347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Afana surname appeared 111 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 Afana.

The history of the last name Afana

The surname Afana is believed to have originated in the Greek region of Macedonia in the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Greek word "afanos," which means "unseen" or "invisible." This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone who lived a secluded life or was elusive in some way.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Afana can be found in a Greek manuscript from the late 16th century, which mentions a man named Ioannis Afanas residing in the village of Edessa, located in modern-day northern Greece. This document provides valuable insight into the early use and spelling variations of the surname.

In the 17th century, the name Afana began to appear in various records throughout the Balkan region, particularly in areas with significant Greek populations. One notable example is Petros Afanas, a merchant from the town of Bitola, in what is now North Macedonia, who was mentioned in a trade agreement dated 1692.

As the centuries passed, the Afana surname spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, often due to migration and immigration. One notable bearer of the name was Nikolaos Afanas, a Greek painter born in 1820 in the town of Naoussa, who gained recognition for his religious artwork and frescoes adorning numerous churches throughout Greece.

Another prominent figure was Dimitrios Afanas, a Greek military officer who fought in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922. He was born in 1890 in the village of Polyfyto, near Thessaloniki, and served with distinction during the conflict, earning several military honors for his bravery and leadership.

In the 20th century, the surname Afana gained further recognition with the accomplishments of Evangelos Afanas, a Greek-American author and playwright born in 1925 in Athens. He immigrated to the United States in the 1950s and became known for his critically acclaimed works exploring themes of identity, cultural assimilation, and the immigrant experience.

It is worth noting that variations of the Afana surname, such as Afanas and Afanasiev, can also be found in other parts of Europe, particularly in Slavic countries like Russia and Ukraine. However, these names likely have different etymological origins and histories distinct from the Greek surname Afana.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Afana

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

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 Afana 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.

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 Afana was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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