2000
#10,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,794
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Buff
An English surname derived from the Old French "buffe," referring to someone with a stocky, muscular build or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,715 Americans carry the last name Buff. That puts it at #12,500 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buff 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 Buff with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,245
Census rank
#12,500
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,368 bearers of the surname Buff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12500th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buff
The surname "BUFF" originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "buffe," which means "to puff or blow," likely referring to the physical appearance or occupation of the original bearer.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name "BUFF" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, where a person named Willelmus Buffe is listed. Another early reference is in the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire from 1201, which mentions a Thomas le Buff.
The surname "BUFF" is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a John le Buff is recorded. This document provides valuable insight into the distribution of surnames in medieval England.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "le Buf" and "le Buffere," suggesting variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable individual from this period is John le Buff, a merchant from Bristol mentioned in the borough records of 1349.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname "BUFF" became more widespread across England. Notable bearers include Sir William Buff (1557-1624), a wealthy merchant and alderman of London, and John Buff (1605-1677), a prominent Puritan minister from Yorkshire.
Other historical figures with the surname "BUFF" include:
1. Thomas Buff (1670-1735), an English clergyman and author from Gloucestershire.
2. Elizabeth Buff (1725-1804), a British diarist and writer from Wiltshire.
3. George Buff (1789-1868), an English architect and surveyor from Norfolk.
4. James Buff (1805-1877), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa.
5. Sir Walter Buff (1842-1912), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served in India and South Africa.
The surname "BUFF" has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Buff Hill in Gloucestershire and Buff Farm in Hampshire, further reflecting its historical roots and geographic distribution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buff
Among Census respondents with the surname Buff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Buff 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 Buff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 2,138
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 83
- Two or more races3.5% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 28
- Black or African American0.9% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buff
Buff 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
#12,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,564
-230 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 1,621 places
2020
#12,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,368
-196 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 347 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,532 | 2,794 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,153 | 2,564 | 0.87 | -230 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 1,621 places |
| 2020 | #12,500 | 2,368 | 0.79 | -196 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 347 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 Buff 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 | #12,153 | #12,500 | -2.9% |
| Count | 2,564 | 2,368 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.79 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buff bearers went from 2,564 to 2,368 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 347 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,153 to #12,500.
FAQ
Buff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buff?
Name Census estimates that about 2,715 living Americans carry the surname Buff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,245 residents.
How common is Buff?
Buff ranks #12,500 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,368 people with the surname Buff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,715), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Buff.
Has Buff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buff went from 2,564 recorded bearers to 2,368. That is a decrease of 196 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,153 to #12,500.
What does the Census say about the background of Buff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Buff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (2,138 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Buff (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 Buff mean?
An English surname derived from the Old French "buffe," referring to someone with a stocky, muscular build or complexion. 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 Buff (0.79 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 are called Buff?
See how common the surname Buff is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.