2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Afful
A Ghanaian surname derived from the Twi word "afo," meaning "war," combined with the suffix "ful," meaning "home of."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 357 Americans carry the last name Afful. That puts it at #68,212 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 960,096 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Afful surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Afful with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
357
1 in 960,096
Census rank
#68,212
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
311
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 311 bearers of the surname Afful in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 68212th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Afful, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and White (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Afful
The surname AFFUL originates from Ghana, a country located in West Africa. It is believed to have its roots in the Akan language, which is spoken by several ethnic groups in Ghana, including the Ashanti and Fante people.
The name AFFUL is derived from the Akan word "afu," which means "plenty" or "abundance." It is thought to have been given as a surname to individuals who came from families or communities known for their prosperity or fertile lands.
Records of the name AFFUL can be found in historical documents and manuscripts dating back to the late 17th century, when Ghana was known as the Gold Coast and was under British colonial rule. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in colonial census records and land ownership documents.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname AFFUL was Kwame AFFUL, a prominent trader who lived in the coastal town of Elmina in the late 1600s. He was known for his successful business ventures and his involvement in local politics.
Another notable figure in Ghanaian history with the surname AFFUL was Nana Akua AFFUL, a respected queen mother of the Ashanti Kingdom in the early 19th century. She was renowned for her wisdom and her role in advising the Ashanti ruler during a period of conflict with British colonial forces.
In the late 19th century, a man named Kwabena AFFUL gained recognition as a skilled craftsman and woodcarver. His intricate works, often depicting scenes from Ghanaian culture and folklore, were highly sought after by collectors and art enthusiasts.
During the early 20th century, a prominent educator named Kwasi AFFUL played a significant role in establishing modern educational institutions in Ghana. He was instrumental in promoting education and literacy among the local population.
In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the surname AFFUL is Akwasi AFFUL, a former professional footballer who represented the Ghanaian national team and played for several clubs in Europe, including Feyenoord and Marseille.
Throughout its history, the surname AFFUL has been associated with various place names and regions within Ghana, such as Akropong, Kumasi, and Cape Coast, where families bearing this name have had strong roots and connections.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Afful
Among Census respondents with the surname Afful, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and White (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Afful bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Afful surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.6% · 291
- Two or more races3.2% · 10
- White2.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Afful
Afful appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#89,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
+103 bearers (+99.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 56,608 places
2020
#68,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 311
+104 bearers (+50.2%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 21,191 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,403 | 207 | 0.07 | +103 bearers (+99.0%) | Up 56,608 places |
| 2020 | #68,212 | 311 | 0.10 | +104 bearers (+50.2%) | Up 21,191 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Afful surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #89,403 | #68,212 | 23.7% |
| Count | 207 | 311 | 50.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.10 | 48.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Afful bearers went from 207 to 311 (+50.2% change). The surname moved up 21,191 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,403 to #68,212.
FAQ
Afful surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Afful?
Name Census estimates that about 357 living Americans carry the surname Afful. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 960,096 residents.
How common is Afful?
Afful ranks #68,212 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 311 people with the surname Afful. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (357), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Afful.
Has Afful become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Afful went from 207 recorded bearers to 311. That is an increase of 104 (+50.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #89,403 to #68,212.
What does the Census say about the background of Afful?
Among Census respondents with the surname Afful, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and White (2.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Afful in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (291 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Afful appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.6%), Two or More Races (3.2%), White (2.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Afful (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Afful mean?
A Ghanaian surname derived from the Twi word "afo," meaning "war," combined with the suffix "ful," meaning "home of." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Afful (0.10 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Afful?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.