Arrufat
A topographic or locative surname likely derived from a place name containing the Arabic word "arrufāt" meaning sand dunes or sandy place.
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Arrufat. That puts it at #150,436 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arrufat 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.
Arrufat appeared in the 2000 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#150,436
2000 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Arrufat in its 2000 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150436th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arrufat, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.0%. The next largest groups are White (22.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arrufat
The surname Arrufat is believed to have its origins in the Catalonia region of Spain, dating back to the Medieval Period. The name is derived from the older Catalan word "rufa," which means "red" or "ruddy," likely referring to someone with a ruddy complexion or red hair. The name may have first appeared as a descriptor before becoming a hereditary surname.
The Arrufat name appears to be closely tied to several areas within Catalonia, such as Barcelona, Girona, and Lleida. It is hypothesized that the name could be linked to specific localities or families that held prominence in these areas. Early spellings and forms of the name have included variants like Arrufac and Rofat, though Arrufat has remained the most consistent version over centuries.
Historical references to the surname can be found in various medieval documents and records. The name makes an appearance in the archives of the Crown of Aragon, a significant political entity in medieval Spain. One such early reference is from the 14th century, when a family named Arrufat is documented in Girona. These records indicate that the Arrufat family was engaged in trade and local governance.
Among the earliest recorded examples of the surname, we find Arnau Arrufat, a notable figure born in 1325 who was a prominent merchant in the city of Barcelona. Arnau was known for his extensive trading network across the Mediterranean and contributed significantly to the local economy. His name appears in several commercial treaties and trading logs stored in Barcelona’s municipal archives.
Another historical figure is Miquel Arrufat, who lived during the late 15th century. Miquel was a physician in Lleida and is recorded as having been one of the early adopters of Renaissance medical practices in that region. His contributions to medical knowledge and public health were substantial, earning him a place in local history.
In the 17th century, Josep Arrufat, born in 1643, was a well-known jurist and legal scholar. Originally from Girona, Josep authored several important legal texts that influenced Catalan law and are still referenced in historical legal studies. His works are preserved in the archives of the University of Girona.
By the 18th century, the name Arrufat had spread beyond Catalonia and into other parts of Spain. One prominent individual during this time was Ramon Arrufat, born in 1701, who served as a military officer in the War of Spanish Succession. He was instrumental in several key battles and is mentioned in military records of the period for his strategic expertise.
The 19th century saw the rise of Manuel Arrufat, a noteworthy artist born in 1835 in Barcelona. Manuel was part of the Catalan Modernisme movement, contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of the era. His paintings, which often depicted rural life and landscapes, have been exhibited in museums and continue to be celebrated for their unique style.
Throughout history, the surname Arrufat has been borne by individuals who have left a significant impact on their respective fields, whether in trade, medicine, law, military service, or the arts. Each of these figures has contributed to the enduring legacy of the name, ensuring its place in historical records and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arrufat
Among Census respondents with the surname Arrufat, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.0%. The next largest groups are White (22.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Arrufat bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2000 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 Arrufat surname at the time of the 2000 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino75.0%
- White22.0%
- Unknown or suppressed3.0%
FAQ
Arrufat surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arrufat?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Arrufat. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Arrufat?
Arrufat ranks #150,436 in the 2000 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 2000 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Arrufat. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Arrufat.
Has Arrufat become more or less common over time?
Arrufat appears here with 2000 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Arrufat?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arrufat, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.0%. The next largest groups are White (22.0%). These figures come from the 2000 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arrufat in the 2000 Census, accounting for 75.0%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arrufat appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2000 file are Hispanic (75.0%), White (22.0%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Arrufat appears here with 2000 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Arrufat mean?
A topographic or locative surname likely derived from a place name containing the Arabic word "arrufāt" meaning sand dunes or sandy place. 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 2000 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 Arrufat (0.04 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 common is the surname Arrufat?
Want to know how many people have the surname Arrufat? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.