2000
#13,875
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,997
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Lafever
A French occupational surname referring to a metalworker, smith, or fever.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,234 Americans carry the last name Lafever. That puts it at #14,666 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 153,426 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lafever 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
2.2K
1 in 153,426
Census rank
#14,666
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,948 bearers of the surname Lafever in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14666th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lafever, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lafever
The surname LAFEVER originated in France, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "fievre," which means "fever." The name likely arose as a descriptive nickname for someone who frequently suffered from fevers or may have been associated with a medical profession related to treating fevers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LAFEVER appears in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire, England, from the late 12th century, where it was spelled "le Fevrur." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been influenced by the Norman French settlers who came to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 13th century, the LAFEVER surname can be found in various records across northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. Some examples include Robert Lafievre, recorded in the Normandy Rolls of 1180-1195, and Jehan Lafievre, mentioned in the Testa de Nevill, a survey of landholdings in England compiled in 1219.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the LAFEVER surname gained prominence in the Netherlands, where it was often spelled as "La Fèvre" or "Lefèvre." One notable figure with this name was Jean Lefèvre d'Étaples (c. 1455-1537), a French scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the early stages of the Protestant Reformation.
In the 17th century, the LAFEVER surname also appeared in records from the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is Isaac LAFEVER, who was born in New York in 1687 and is considered one of the first settlers of the LAFEVER family in America.
Other prominent individuals with the LAFEVER surname include:
1. Adolphe LAFEVER (1810-1876), a French architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in New York City.
2. John LAFEVER (1796-1863), an American architect and author of the influential book "The Modern Builder's Guide," published in 1833.
3. Robert LAFEVER (1886-1949), an American actor and film director active during the silent film era.
4. James LAFEVER (1776-1850), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.
5. Jean-Jacques LAFEVER (1651-1711), a French sculptor and architect who worked on several prominent buildings in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV.
In summary, the surname LAFEVER has a rich history dating back to medieval France, where it originated as a descriptive nickname. Over the centuries, it has been found in various regions of Europe and has been associated with notable figures in fields such as architecture, politics, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lafever
Among Census respondents with the surname Lafever, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lafever 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 Lafever surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 1,774
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 75
- Two or more races3.5% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lafever
Lafever 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
#15,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,960
-37 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 1,185 places
2020
#14,666
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,948
-12 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 394 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,875 | 1,997 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,060 | 1,960 | 0.66 | -37 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 1,185 places |
| 2020 | #14,666 | 1,948 | 0.65 | -12 bearers (-0.6%) | Up 394 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 Lafever 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 | #15,060 | #14,666 | 2.6% |
| Count | 1,960 | 1,948 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.65 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lafever bearers went from 1,960 to 1,948 (-0.6% change). The surname moved up 394 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,060 to #14,666.
FAQ
Lafever surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lafever?
Name Census estimates that about 2,234 living Americans carry the surname Lafever. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 153,426 residents.
How common is Lafever?
Lafever ranks #14,666 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,948 people with the surname Lafever. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,234), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lafever.
Has Lafever become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lafever went from 1,960 recorded bearers to 1,948. That is a decrease of 12 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,060 to #14,666.
What does the Census say about the background of Lafever?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lafever, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Lafever in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (1,774 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lafever appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Lafever (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 Lafever mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a metalworker, smith, or fever. 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 Lafever (0.65 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 many people are called Lafever?
You can see how common the surname Lafever is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.