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

Jaffa, 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 Jaffa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jaffa in America

Jaffa is the 65066th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jaffa surname appeared 305 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 Jaffa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jaffa 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 Jaffa

The surname Jaffa is of Arabic origin, deriving from the name of the ancient port city of Jaffa (also known as Yafa or Yafo) in modern-day Israel. The name can be traced back to the 16th century, when it first appeared in records of families living in the region.

Jaffa is one of the oldest port cities in the world, with a history dating back to the Bronze Age. Its strategic location on the Mediterranean coast made it an important trading hub for centuries, attracting merchants and settlers from various cultures and backgrounds. It is believed that the surname Jaffa may have been adopted by families who lived in or had close ties to the city.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jaffa can be found in Ottoman tax records from the late 16th century, which listed several families with this name residing in the area around Jaffa. These records provide valuable insights into the lives and occupations of these early Jaffa families, many of whom were involved in maritime trade and commerce.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Jaffa began to appear in various European records as well, possibly indicating the migration of some families from the Middle East to other parts of the Mediterranean region and beyond. One notable bearer of the name was Haim Jaffa, a Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in the 17th century and wrote extensively on Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah.

During the 19th century, the surname Jaffa became more widespread as families continued to migrate and settle in different parts of the world. One prominent figure was Solomon Jaffa, a British businessman and philanthropist born in 1801, who made significant contributions to the Jewish community in London.

Another notable bearer of the Jaffa surname was Isaac Jaffa, a Russian-born American engineer and inventor who lived from 1856 to 1938. He is credited with developing several important technologies related to electric motors and generators, and his work played a significant role in the early development of the electrical industry.

In more recent times, the surname Jaffa has been carried by individuals from various fields, including academics, artists, and public figures. One example is Michael Jaffa, a British author and journalist born in 1935, who has written extensively on Middle Eastern affairs and international politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jaffa

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

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

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

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