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

Gaffar, 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 Gaffar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gaffar in America

Gaffar is the 102688th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gaffar surname appeared 175 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 Gaffar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gaffar 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 Gaffar

The surname GAFFAR originates from the Arabic language and is believed to have its roots in regions of the Middle East, particularly in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria. It is derived from the Arabic word "ghaffar," which means "forgiver" or "one who forgives."

The earliest known references to the surname GAFFAR can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the rise of Islam and the expansion of Arabic culture. The name was likely adopted by individuals who were known for their merciful and forgiving nature or who held positions of authority within religious or judicial institutions.

In the 9th century CE, the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over vast territories stretching from North Africa to Central Asia, recorded the name GAFFAR in administrative documents and tax records. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were present in various parts of the caliphate during that time.

As the Arab world expanded through trade and conquest, the surname GAFFAR spread to other regions, including parts of Europe and the Indian subcontinent. In the 12th century, the Moroccan explorer and traveler Ibn Battuta mentioned encountering individuals with the surname GAFFAR during his travels through the Middle East and Central Asia.

One notable figure in history who bore the surname GAFFAR was Abdul Gaffar Khan (1890-1988), a prominent advocate for non-violent resistance and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He was also known as the "Frontier Gandhi" and played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.

Another prominent individual with the surname GAFFAR was Mirza Mahmoud Gaffar (1885-1955), an Iranian politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Iran from 1942 to 1944. He was instrumental in negotiating the Anglo-Iranian Treaty of 1919, which established Iran's sovereignty and independence.

In the 13th century, the name GAFFAR appeared in the Ruznameh-ye Ghaznavi, a historical chronicle of the Ghaznavid Empire, which ruled over parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. The chronicle mentioned a scholar and jurist named Shams al-Din Gaffar, who served as a judge and legal advisor to the Ghaznavid rulers.

During the Ottoman Empire, the surname GAFFAR was found among individuals living in various regions of the empire, including present-day Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans. One notable figure from this period was Mustafa Gaffar Pasha (1636-1703), an Ottoman statesman and military leader who served as the Grand Vizier, the highest-ranking political and military official in the empire.

In more recent history, Mohammad Gaffar Khan (1914-1994) was a prominent Pakistani politician and leader of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement, which advocated for non-violent resistance against British colonial rule in the region that is now Pakistan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gaffar

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

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

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

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