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

Jaffray, 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 Jaffray surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jaffray in America

Jaffray is the 94730th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jaffray surname appeared 193 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 Jaffray.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jaffray 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 Jaffray

The surname Jaffray has its origins in medieval Scotland, with records showing its use as early as the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French name "Geoffrey," which itself comes from the Germanic words "gau" (district) and "frid" (peace), essentially meaning "peace from the district."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of written submissions of homage to King Edward I of England. This document lists a "Johannes de Jafferay" from the county of Lanark in Scotland.

In the 14th century, the Jaffray name can be found in various charters and land records across the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, and Lanarkshire. Variants of the spelling include Jaffray, Jaffrey, Jeffray, and Jeffery.

The Jaffray family played a notable role in the Scottish Reformation of the 16th century. Reverend John Jaffray (1597-1672), a Presbyterian minister and religious writer, was a prominent figure in this movement and served as the chaplain to the Earl of Lauderdale.

Another notable Jaffray was Alexander Jaffray (1614-1673), a Scottish merchant, diarist, and one of the founders of the Quaker movement in Scotland. His detailed diaries provide valuable insights into the social and religious landscape of 17th century Scotland.

In the 18th century, the Jaffray name can be traced to the town of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, where a branch of the family owned land and property. Robert Jaffray (1732-1801), a descendant of this line, was a prominent merchant and served as the Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1786 to 1788.

The name also has a connection to the Caribbean island of Antigua, where a family of Jaffrays established themselves as wealthy plantation owners in the late 17th century. One of their descendants, Sir William Jaffray (1756-1838), was a prominent British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

As the Jaffray family spread across Scotland and beyond, the name evolved into various spellings, including Jaffray, Jaffrey, Jeffray, and Jeffery. Despite these variations, the name's roots can be traced back to its medieval Scottish origins, with a rich history spanning several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jaffray

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

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

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

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