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

Cephas, 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 Cephas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cephas in America

Cephas is the 15912th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cephas surname appeared 1,826 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cephas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cephas 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 Cephas

The surname Cephas is of Aramaic origin, deriving from the Aramaic word 'Kepha' which means 'rock' or 'stone'. This name was given to Simon Peter, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, by Jesus himself. According to the New Testament, Jesus referred to Simon as 'Cephas' which was translated into Greek as 'Petros', meaning 'rock'.

Cephas is a relatively rare surname, primarily found among Christian communities, particularly those with roots in the Middle East or areas where Aramaic was spoken. The earliest recorded use of the surname Cephas can be traced back to the 4th century AD, when it was used by early Christian families in the region of Syria.

One of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname Cephas was Saint Cephas, a 4th-century bishop of Nisibis (modern-day Nusaybin, Turkey). He is celebrated as a notable figure in the Syriac Orthodox Church and is believed to have lived from around 315 to 361 AD.

Another notable bearer of the surname Cephas was Patriarch Cephas I, who served as the Patriarch of the Church of the East from 628 to 647 AD. He played a significant role in the spread of Christianity in Persia (modern-day Iran) during the Sasanian Empire.

In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Cephas Buchis was a Syrian Orthodox bishop and scholar who lived in Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). He is known for his contributions to the study of Syriac literature and theology.

Moving forward in time, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname Cephas was Patriarch Cephas IV Shemun, who served as the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1472 to 1480. He was born in Mardin, Turkey, and is renowned for his efforts in promoting unity among the various Eastern Christian churches.

In more recent history, Dr. Cephas Joseph Bagumisiriza, a Ugandan academic and diplomat, held the position of the Vice-Chancellor of Nkumba University in Uganda from 2007 to 2017. He was born in 1944 and is recognized for his contributions to higher education and international relations.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Cephas throughout history, highlighting its deep roots in the Christian tradition and its association with various regions of the Middle East and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cephas

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

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

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

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