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

Iosefa, 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 Iosefa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iosefa in America

Iosefa is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iosefa surname appeared 171 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 Iosefa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Iosefa 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 Iosefa

The surname IOSEFA is believed to have originated from the Samoan islands in the South Pacific. This name has its roots in the Polynesian culture and language, where it was initially spelled as 'Iosefa' or 'Iosefa'.

The name IOSEFA is derived from the Hebrew name 'Joseph', which means 'he will add' or 'he will increase'. The Samoan form, IOSEFA, is a transliteration of the biblical name Joseph, reflecting the influence of Christianity in the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name IOSEFA can be found in the historical records of the London Missionary Society, which established a mission in Samoa in the early 19th century. The missionaries documented the names of local Samoans they encountered, including individuals bearing the surname IOSEFA.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several notable figures with the surname IOSEFA emerged in Samoa. One such individual was Iosefa Ioapo (1860-1919), a prominent Samoan chief and orator who played a significant role in the negotiations with colonial powers during the partitioning of Samoa.

Another notable figure was Iosefa Enari (1885-1965), a Samoan pastor and educator who dedicated his life to promoting education and Christian values in Samoa. He was instrumental in establishing several schools and churches throughout the islands.

In the realm of sports, Iosefa Tekori (1932-2008) was a renowned Samoan rugby player who represented Samoa in international competitions during the 1950s and 1960s. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest Samoan rugby players of his time.

In the United States, one of the earliest documented individuals with the surname IOSEFA was Iosefa Tupua (1890-1976), a Samoan-American who served in the United States Navy during World War I. He later settled in Hawaii and played a significant role in the Samoan community there.

Another notable figure was Iosefa Anoai (1942-2011), a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Rodney Anoa'i. He was a member of the renowned Anoa'i family, which has produced several successful wrestlers, including his son, Rodney Anoa'i Jr., better known as Yokozuna.

While the surname IOSEFA originated in Samoa, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots remain deeply embedded in the Polynesian culture and the biblical name Joseph, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and historical influences that have shaped this distinctive surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iosefa

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

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

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

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