2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Elfarra
Arabic surname signifying the departed or ranger.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Elfarra. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elfarra 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.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Elfarra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elfarra, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elfarra
The surname ELFARRA has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabic-speaking regions. It is believed to have emerged sometime during the medieval period, around the 7th to 10th centuries.
The name ELFARRA is derived from the Arabic word "farr," which means "to flee" or "to escape." It is possible that the name was initially given to individuals or families who had fled or migrated from one area to another, either due to conflict, persecution, or in search of better opportunities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ELFARRA can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab historian and scholar, Al-Tabari (838-923 AD). In his extensive chronicles, he mentions a family bearing the name ELFARRA, who were prominent in the city of Damascus during the 9th century.
Another historical reference to the name ELFARRA can be found in the writings of the 12th-century Arab geographer, Al-Idrisi. He mentions a village called "Qaryat al-Farra" located in the region of modern-day Syria, which may have been named after a person or family bearing the surname ELFARRA.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname ELFARRA. One such figure was Abu Bakr al-Farra (875-942 AD), a renowned Arab grammarian and linguist who authored several influential works on Arabic grammar and lexicography.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Ahmad al-Farra (1349-1431), a Syrian scholar and historian who wrote extensively on the history and culture of the Levant region during the Mamluk period.
In the 16th century, there was a famous poet and writer from Damascus named Nizar al-Farra (1520-1592), whose works were widely celebrated in the literary circles of the Ottoman Empire.
During the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname ELFARRA was Muhammad al-Farra (1829-1901), a Syrian scholar and reformer who played a significant role in the intellectual and cultural renaissance of the Arab world during that period.
Historically, the name ELFARRA has also been associated with various place names and locations in the Middle East. For instance, there is a town called "Al-Farra" in present-day Jordan, which may have derived its name from the surname or vice versa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elfarra
Among Census respondents with the surname Elfarra, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Elfarra 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 Elfarra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elfarra
Elfarra appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 1,840 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 Elfarra 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 | #143,149 | #141,309 | 1.3% |
| Count | 116 | 121 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elfarra bearers went from 116 to 121 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 1,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #141,309.
FAQ
Elfarra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elfarra?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Elfarra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Elfarra?
Elfarra ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Elfarra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Elfarra.
Has Elfarra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elfarra went from 116 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 5 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Elfarra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elfarra, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Elfarra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elfarra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (8.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Elfarra (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 Elfarra mean?
Arabic surname signifying the departed or ranger. 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 Elfarra (0.04 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 Elfarra?
You can see how common the surname Elfarra is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.