2000
#20,343
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,215
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Lafata
Possibly derived from a Spanish surname meaning "person from Lafata".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,388 Americans carry the last name Lafata. That puts it at #21,920 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 246,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lafata surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 246,941
Census rank
#21,920
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,210 bearers of the surname Lafata in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21920th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lafata, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lafata
The surname LAFATA has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the central regions of the country, particularly around the areas of Tuscany and Umbria.
One theory suggests that the name LAFATA is derived from the Italian word "fata," which means "fairy" or "fate." This could indicate that the name was initially bestowed upon someone who had a particular association with mythical creatures or was believed to possess supernatural abilities.
Another possibility is that LAFATA is a locational surname, referring to a specific place or region where the family originated. However, there is no clear evidence of a town or village bearing this exact name in historical records.
The earliest documented mention of the LAFATA surname can be found in a collection of legal documents from the city of Florence, dated around 1492. The record refers to a certain "Giovanni LAFATA," who was involved in a land dispute at the time.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named Benedetto LAFATA (1505-1573) gained recognition as a skilled architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and fortifications in the region of Lombardy.
During the 17th century, a branch of the LAFATA family settled in the Kingdom of Naples, where they gained prominence as landowners and merchants. One member, Antonio LAFATA (1624-1697), was a respected scholar and writer who authored several works on philosophy and theology.
In the 18th century, a renowned painter named Giacomo LAFATA (1732-1805) emerged from the city of Siena. His works, primarily focused on religious themes and portraiture, can still be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.
Another notable figure bearing the LAFATA surname was Giuseppe LAFATA (1824-1891), a politician and statesman who played a significant role in the unification of Italy during the Risorgimento movement. He served as a member of the Italian parliament and was a strong advocate for democratic reforms.
Throughout the centuries, the LAFATA name has maintained a presence in various regions of Italy, with families carrying on the legacy of this surname across generations. While not widely known outside of Italy, the LAFATA surname holds a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural and historical fabric of the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lafata
Among Census respondents with the surname Lafata, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lafata bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lafata surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 1,130
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 50
- Two or more races1.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lafata
Lafata appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#20,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,269
+54 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Down 463 places
2020
#21,920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,210
-59 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 1,114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,343 | 1,215 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,806 | 1,269 | 0.43 | +54 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 463 places |
| 2020 | #21,920 | 1,210 | 0.40 | -59 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 1,114 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lafata surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,806 | #21,920 | -5.4% |
| Count | 1,269 | 1,210 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.43 | 0.40 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lafata bearers went from 1,269 to 1,210 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 1,114 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,806 to #21,920.
FAQ
Lafata surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lafata?
Name Census estimates that about 1,388 living Americans carry the surname Lafata. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 246,941 residents.
How common is Lafata?
Lafata ranks #21,920 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,210 people with the surname Lafata. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,388), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lafata.
Has Lafata become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lafata went from 1,269 recorded bearers to 1,210. That is a decrease of 59 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,806 to #21,920.
What does the Census say about the background of Lafata?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lafata, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lafata in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (1,130 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lafata appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (1.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lafata (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lafata mean?
Possibly derived from a Spanish surname meaning "person from Lafata". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lafata (0.40 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Lafata?
Want to know how many people have the surname Lafata? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.