2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Gaffoor
A surname derived from the Arabic word "gaffar" meaning forgiver or pardoner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Gaffoor. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaffoor 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Gaffoor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaffoor, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 57.3%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaffoor
The surname "GAFFOOR" is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region that is now modern-day Iran and Afghanistan. The name can be traced back to the Arabic word "Ghafoor," which means "forgiving" or "pardoner." It is likely that the name was initially a descriptive term or a title given to individuals known for their merciful and compassionate nature.
The earliest known records of the surname "GAFFOOR" date back to the 14th century, during the reign of the Timurid Empire in Central Asia. This powerful dynasty, founded by Timur (also known as Tamerlane), ruled over vast territories spanning from modern-day Turkey to India. It is believed that the name "GAFFOOR" was used by members of the Timurid nobility or by individuals associated with the court.
One of the earliest documented references to the name "GAFFOOR" can be found in the "Zafar Nama," a historical chronicle written by Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi, a prominent historian and scholar of the Timurid era. This work, completed in the late 15th century, mentions several individuals bearing the surname "GAFFOOR" who held positions of importance within the Timurid administration.
In the following centuries, the name "GAFFOOR" continued to be prevalent in the region, particularly in what is now modern-day Iran and Afghanistan. Notable individuals with this surname include:
1. Mirza Ghulam Gaffoor (1823-1892), a renowned Persian poet and scholar who authored several acclaimed works on literature and philosophy.
2. Ghulam Gaffoor Khan (1865-1932), an influential Afghan politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the reign of King Habibullah Khan.
3. Syed Gaffoor Ahmed (1876-1949), an Indian Muslim scholar and educator who played a significant role in establishing educational institutions in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
4. Abdul Gaffoor (1901-1974), a celebrated Pakistani musician and composer, known for his contributions to the classical music tradition of the subcontinent.
5. Ghulam Gaffoor Siddiqui (1920-2001), a prominent Pakistani judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court from 1979 to 1982.
While the name "GAFFOOR" has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and cultural exchange. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and even in some parts of Europe and North America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaffoor
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaffoor, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 57.3%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaffoor 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 Gaffoor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander57.3% · 63
- Black or African American30.9% · 34
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- White0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaffoor
Gaffoor 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
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+10 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 11,529 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 Gaffoor 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 | #160,975 | #149,446 | 7.2% |
| Count | 100 | 110 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaffoor bearers went from 100 to 110 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 11,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #149,446.
FAQ
Gaffoor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaffoor?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Gaffoor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Gaffoor?
Gaffoor ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Gaffoor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Gaffoor.
Has Gaffoor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaffoor went from 100 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 10 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaffoor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaffoor, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 57.3%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Two or More Races (6.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gaffoor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.3% (63 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaffoor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (57.3%), Black (30.9%), Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Gaffoor (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 Gaffoor mean?
A surname derived from the Arabic word "gaffar" meaning forgiver or pardoner. 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 Gaffoor (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 Americans have the surname Gaffoor?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.