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

Beffa, 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 Beffa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beffa in America

Beffa is the 59742nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beffa surname appeared 338 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 Beffa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beffa 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 Beffa

The surname Beffa originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "beffa," which means "joke" or "mockery." The name likely originated as a nickname for someone with a prankster or jester-like personality.

The earliest known records of the Beffa surname date back to the 13th century in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna in central Italy. Some of the earliest documented examples include Giovanni Beffa, a merchant from Florence in 1287, and Matteo Beffa, a landowner from Bologna in 1311.

In the 14th century, the Beffa family gained prominence in the city of Genoa, where they were involved in maritime trade and commerce. One notable member was Oberto Beffa, a wealthy merchant and ship owner who lived from 1320 to 1392.

During the Renaissance, the Beffa surname was associated with several notable artists and intellectuals. Francesco Beffa (1445-1518) was a renowned painter from Verona, known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout northern Italy.

In the 17th century, the Beffa family had a strong presence in the Papal States, where they held positions within the Catholic Church. Antonio Beffa (1610-1678) was a prominent theologian and prelate who served as the Bishop of Rieti from 1663 until his death.

Another notable figure was Giulio Beffa (1722-1798), a military officer and diplomat from Naples. He served as the Neapolitan ambassador to the court of Louis XV in France and played a significant role in negotiating treaties between the two nations.

Throughout history, the Beffa surname has been associated with various locations across Italy, including Beffa di Revigliasco in Piedmont, Beffa di Montà in Cuneo, and Beffa di Brisighella in Emilia-Romagna. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname, such as Beffa, Beffà, and Beffani.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beffa

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

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

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

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