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

Ghafouri, 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 Ghafouri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ghafouri in America

Ghafouri is the 107134th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ghafouri surname appeared 166 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 Ghafouri.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ghafouri 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 Ghafouri

The surname Ghafouri has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in Iran. It is believed to have emerged during the 7th century AD, around the time of the Islamic conquest of Persia. The name is derived from the Persian word "ghafur," which means "forgiving" or "merciful," and is often associated with one of the attributes of God in Islamic theology.

The earliest known records of the Ghafouri name can be traced back to the 9th century, when it appeared in various Persian manuscripts and historical documents. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Abu Bakr Ghafouri, a renowned Islamic scholar and poet who lived in the city of Isfahan during the 10th century.

Throughout the centuries, the Ghafouri name has been associated with various notable figures in Persian and Islamic history. In the 12th century, there was a famous Sufi mystic named Shams al-Din Ghafouri, who was known for his spiritual teachings and poetry. Another prominent individual was Mirza Ghafouri, a 17th-century Persian calligrapher and artist who was renowned for his exquisite calligraphic works.

As the Ghafouri family spread across different regions of the Middle East, the name underwent slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. For instance, in some areas, it was spelled as "Ghaffuri" or "Ghaffoori." Additionally, the name was sometimes associated with certain place names, such as the city of Ghafour or the village of Ghafourabad.

One of the most famous individuals with the Ghafouri surname in modern times was Ata Ghafouri, an Afghan poet and writer who lived from 1904 to 1982. His works were highly influential in the development of modern Afghan literature and poetry. Another notable figure was Rahim Ghafouri, an Iranian actor and filmmaker who was born in 1941 and passed away in 2021, leaving behind a legacy of acclaimed films and performances.

It is worth noting that the Ghafouri name has also been found in various historical records and manuscripts from other parts of the Middle East, such as Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, indicating the spread of this surname across different cultures and regions within the broader Islamic world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ghafouri

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

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

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

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