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

Jafri, 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 Jafri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jafri in America

Jafri is the 20512th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jafri surname appeared 1,293 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 Jafri.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jafri 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 Jafri

The surname Jafri has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region of modern-day Iraq and the surrounding areas. The name is derived from the Arabic root word "jafr," which means "a hollow" or "a cavity." It is thought to have initially referred to a place or a geographical feature, such as a valley or a hollow in the land.

The earliest known references to the name Jafri can be traced back to the 7th and 8th centuries AD, during the era of the Islamic Golden Age. Historical records suggest that the name was present in various regions of the Middle East, including parts of modern-day Iraq, Iran, and the Levant. Some scholars believe that the name may have been associated with certain tribes or clans in these areas, although concrete evidence of this is limited.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Jafri was Abu Jafar al-Mansur, the second Abbasid caliph who ruled from 754 to 775 AD. He is credited with founding the city of Baghdad and establishing it as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. Another notable figure from this period was Abu Jafar al-Razi, a Persian philosopher, alchemist, and physician who lived from 865 to 925 AD and made significant contributions to the fields of medicine and chemistry.

As the Islamic empires expanded, the name Jafri likely spread to other regions, including parts of South Asia and the Indian subcontinent. One famous bearer of the name from this region was Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, a renowned Urdu and Persian poet who lived from 1797 to 1869 and is considered one of the greatest poets of the Mughal era.

In more recent history, Syed Abul A'la Maududi, an influential Islamic philosopher and revivalist who lived from 1903 to 1979, also carried the surname Jafri. His writings and teachings had a significant impact on the development of modern Islamic thought and movements.

Another notable figure with the surname Jafri was Syed Jafri, an Indian politician and diplomat who served as the Indian Ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union, during the mid-20th century.

While the surname Jafri has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Muslim populations or those with historical connections to the Islamic empires. The name continues to be carried by individuals of diverse ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, reflecting its rich and diverse history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jafri

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

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

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

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