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

Hafele, 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 Hafele surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hafele in America

Hafele is the 51723rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hafele surname appeared 402 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 Hafele.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hafele 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 Hafele

The surname Hafele is believed to have originated in Germany. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "haval," which means "goat" or "kid." The name likely referred to someone who worked with goats or sold goat-related products.

Hafele can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Bavaria, where it was first recorded in the town of Augsburg. Some of the earliest recorded spellings of the name include Haefele, Häfele, and Haeffle.

In the 14th century, the name Hafele appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts, such as the Augsburg Stadtbuch (City Book). This suggests that the name was well-established in the region during that time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Hafele was Hans Hafele, a blacksmith who lived in Augsburg in the late 15th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Hafele, a merchant and city councilor in Nuremberg, who lived from 1520 to 1592.

In the 17th century, the Hafele family expanded its presence to other parts of Germany, including the regions of Saxony and Thuringia. During this period, some variations of the name emerged, such as Häffele and Heffele.

A prominent figure with the surname Hafele was Friedrich Hafele, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1701 to 1753. He was known for his works on natural theology and ethics.

In the 19th century, the Hafele name was found in various German-speaking areas, including Austria and Switzerland. One notable bearer of the name from this period was Karl Hafele, a German playwright and poet who lived from 1811 to 1872.

Another significant figure was Albert Hafele, a German engineer and inventor who lived from 1855 to 1921. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the internal combustion engine and the automotive industry.

Over time, the surname Hafele has spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration from German-speaking regions. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Bavaria, where it was likely associated with individuals involved in the goat industry or related occupations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hafele

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

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

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

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