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

Afify, 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 Afify surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Afify in America

Afify is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Afify surname appeared 100 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 Afify.

The history of the last name Afify

The surname AFIFY has its origins in the Middle East, specifically Egypt. It can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the early Islamic era, when the Arab conquests spread across the region. The name is derived from the Arabic word "afif," which means "chaste" or "virtuous."

In its earliest form, the name was likely spelled as "Al-Afifi," indicating the person's lineage or family. It was common practice at the time to add the prefix "al-" before a name to denote belonging or association. This practice was particularly prevalent among Arab tribes and clans.

The earliest known record of the name AFIFY can be found in the writings of famous Arab scholars and historians from the 9th and 10th centuries. One such scholar, Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani (897-967 AD), mentioned an individual named Al-Afifi in his book "Kitab al-Aghani" (The Book of Songs), which chronicled the lives of famous poets and musicians of the time.

Another notable figure with the surname AFIFY was Ibn al-Afifi (1088-1152 AD), an Andalusian poet and philosopher who lived during the reign of the Almoravid dynasty in present-day Spain and Morocco. His works, which included poetry and treatises on philosophy and theology, were widely renowned throughout the Islamic world.

In the 13th century, the name AFIFY appeared in the records of the Ayyubid dynasty, which ruled over parts of modern-day Egypt, Syria, and Yemen. One such record mentions an individual named Afifi al-Din, who served as a military commander under the Ayyubid ruler Al-Kamil (1180-1238 AD).

During the Mamluk period in Egypt (1250-1517 AD), the AFIFY surname gained further prominence. Several members of this family held influential positions within the Mamluk military and administrative ranks. One notable figure was Sayf al-Din al-Afifi (1263-1321 AD), who served as the governor of Damascus and played a significant role in the defense of the city against the Mongol invasions.

As the centuries passed, the AFIFY name spread across the Arab world, with branches of the family settling in various regions, including modern-day Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. The name has also been associated with several prominent scholars, writers, and artists throughout the centuries, contributing to its enduring legacy in the cultural and intellectual spheres of the Middle East.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Afify

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

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

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

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