Delafé last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Delafé

French surname indicating a person from Laffe, a former canton in France.

Delafé, 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 Delafé surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Delafé in America

Delafé is the 68770th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Delafé surname appeared 286 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 Delafé.

We can also compare 2010 data for Delafé 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 68770 73931 -7.23%
Count 286 244 15.85%
Proportion per 100k 0.10 0.09 10.53%

The history of the last name Delafé

The surname DELAFE has its origins in France, with records dating back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French phrase "de la fe," which translates to "of the faith." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who displayed strong religious devotion or was closely associated with the church.

One of the earliest documented references to the DELAFE surname can be found in the parish records of Rouen, Normandy, from the year 1523. The entry mentions a certain Jean DELAFE, who was a local merchant and landowner. This indicates that the name had already established itself among the French population by that time.

In the late 16th century, the DELAFE family seems to have spread to other regions of France, including the Île-de-France and Burgundy. Records from this period show variations in the spelling, such as "Delafé" and "Delaffe," which were likely due to regional dialects and scribal errors.

During the 17th century, the DELAFE name gained greater prominence, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such person was Pierre DELAFE (1621-1692), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Parlement of Paris. His writings on French civil law were widely influential during his lifetime and beyond.

Another significant figure was Marie DELAFE (1645-1718), a French noblewoman and philanthropist. She was known for her charitable works, supporting various orphanages and hospitals in Paris. Her legacy continues through the DELAFE Foundation, established in her honor in the 18th century.

In the 18th century, the DELAFE family expanded their presence across Europe, with members settling in regions like Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. One notable figure from this era was Jean-Baptiste DELAFE (1732-1804), a French military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of General.

As the DELAFE name spread throughout Europe, it also found its way to the Americas, particularly during the wave of French immigration to Canada and the United States in the 19th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the DELAFE surname in North America was that of Louis DELAFE (1789-1867), a French immigrant who settled in Quebec and became a successful merchant.

In the 20th century, the DELAFE name gained further recognition through individuals like Émile DELAFE (1901-1979), a renowned French architect known for his innovative designs and contributions to the modernist movement in architecture.

While the DELAFE surname has its roots in France, it has since become a part of the cultural tapestry of many nations, with descendants scattered across the globe. Despite its widespread reach, the name continues to carry its historical significance, reflecting a connection to faith and a legacy of achievement in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Delafé

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

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 Delafé was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 14.69% 42
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 84.62% 242

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 Delafé has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 14.69% 18.44% -22.64%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Hispanic 84.62% 81.56% 3.68%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Delafé last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/delafe-surname-popularity/.

"Delafé last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/delafe-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Delafé last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/delafe-surname-popularity/.

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