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

Califf, 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 Califf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Califf in America

Califf is the 39717th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Califf surname appeared 553 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 Califf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Califf 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 Califf

The surname Califf is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the name Callaway, which is derived from the Old English words "calu" meaning bald and "leah" meaning woodland clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a bald person residing in or near a clearing.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Califf can be traced back to the 13th century in county records from Shropshire, England. One notable example is a William Califf who was recorded as a landowner in the village of Edgmond in 1279. Place names like Califf Coppice and Califf Meadow were also found in this region, further indicating the name's longstanding presence.

In the 14th century, a John Califf was mentioned in the Chancery Rolls of 1396, which were legal records kept by the Court of Chancery in England. This provides evidence that the name had spread to other parts of the country by this time.

The Califf surname has also been linked to the village of Califfe near Rotherham in South Yorkshire. This place name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "calu" and "hyfde," meaning bald ridge or hill. It is possible that some Califf families may have derived their name from this location.

Notable individuals with the surname Califf include:

1. Sir John Califf (c.1520-1587), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Robert Califf (b. 1951), an American academic and former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2016 to 2017.

3. Thomas Califf (1780-1840), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania in the early 19th century.

4. William Califf (1829-1901), a British-born American businessman and politician who served as Mayor of San Francisco in 1892.

5. Mary Califf (1870-1943), an American actress and vaudeville performer active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Califf

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

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

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

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