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

Efta, 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 Efta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Efta in America

Efta is the 77264th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Efta surname appeared 248 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 Efta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Efta 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 Efta

The surname EFTA is of Norwegian origin, with its roots traceable back to the 9th century Viking era. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "eft," which means "strength" or "power." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals who displayed exceptional physical prowess or leadership qualities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the EFTA surname can be found in the Gulating Law, a medieval Norwegian legal code dating back to the 11th century. Here, the name appears as "Eftarson," likely referring to a son of an individual named Eftar.

During the Viking Age, the EFTA name was particularly prevalent in the coastal regions of western Norway, where seafaring and raiding expeditions were commonplace. Some historical records indicate that members of the EFTA clan participated in the famous Viking voyages to Iceland, Greenland, and even North America.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the EFTA surname was Thorvald Eftason, a Norwegian chieftain and landowner. Eftason was a respected leader in the Gulating assembly and played a significant role in the political and legal affairs of his time.

As the centuries passed, the EFTA name spread across Norway and eventually reached other Scandinavian countries. In the 16th century, Hans Efta, a Danish merchant and explorer, undertook several voyages to the Arctic regions, contributing to the mapping of the northern coastlines.

Another notable EFTA was Ingrid Efta, a Norwegian poet and writer born in 1825. Her works, which often celebrated the beauty of the Norwegian landscape and culture, gained widespread recognition and contributed to the development of Norwegian romantic literature.

In the late 19th century, Olav Efta, a Norwegian engineer, played a pivotal role in the construction of the Bergen Railway, a major infrastructure project that connected the city of Bergen with the eastern parts of Norway.

Over time, the EFTA surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Efti, Eftie, and Eftey, reflecting regional dialects and language evolution. However, the core meaning and significance of the name have remained intact, carrying the spirit of strength and power through generations of Norwegians and Scandinavians.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Efta

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

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

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

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