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

Farhi, 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 Farhi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Farhi in America

Farhi is the 72568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Farhi surname appeared 268 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 Farhi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Farhi 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 Farhi

The surname Farhi has its origins in the Arabic language, and it is believed to have originated in North Africa, particularly in Morocco and Algeria, during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Arabic word "farhah," which means "joy" or "happiness."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Farhi surname can be traced back to the 12th century in the city of Fez, Morocco, where a prominent Jewish family bearing this name resided. This family was known for their scholarly pursuits and contributions to the field of Talmudic studies.

In the 15th century, during the Spanish Inquisition, many Jews from Spain and Portugal sought refuge in North Africa, including Morocco and Algeria. It is possible that some of these refugees carried the Farhi surname with them, further spreading its use in the region.

Historically, the Farhi name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Rabbi Vidal Farhi, a 16th-century Jewish scholar born in Fez, Morocco (c. 1520 - c. 1590). He was renowned for his expertise in Talmudic law and authored several influential works on Jewish jurisprudence.

Another prominent Farhi was Abraham Farhi, a 17th-century Jewish financier and diplomat from Tunis (c. 1630 - c. 1710). He played a significant role in facilitating trade and diplomatic relations between the Ottoman Empire and European powers, particularly France.

In the 19th century, David Farhi (1825 - 1898), a wealthy Jewish merchant and philanthropist from Tunis, made significant contributions to the local Jewish community by establishing schools and charitable institutions.

Variations of the Farhi surname can also be found in other regions, such as the Middle East and parts of Europe, where it may be spelled differently due to linguistic adaptations. For example, the name may appear as Farachi, Farhee, or Farhiy in certain contexts.

It is worth noting that the Farhi surname has been carried by individuals from various religious backgrounds, including Judaism and Islam, reflecting the diverse cultural influences in the regions where the name originated and spread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Farhi

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

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

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

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