2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Laffrey
From a French location known for its many streams or creeks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Laffrey. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Laffrey 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Laffrey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Laffrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Laffrey
The surname Laffrey has its origins in France, where it first appeared in the late 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "laffre," which means "leper" or "outcast." This could suggest that the name was originally given to someone who had been ostracized from their community due to illness or other circumstances.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Laffrey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name had already spread to England by the late 11th century, likely brought over by Norman settlers following the Norman Conquest of 1066.
In the 12th century, there are references to a family named Laffrey living in the village of Laffrey-les-Vignes in the Burgundy region of France. It is possible that the name was originally derived from this place name or that the family took their name from the village.
During the Middle Ages, the name Laffrey appeared in various forms, including Laffray, Laffraie, and Laffrey. This was due to the inconsistent spelling of surnames before they became standardized in more modern times.
One notable person with the surname Laffrey was Guillaume Laffrey, a French nobleman who lived in the 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Charles V of France and served as a military commander during the Hundred Years' War.
Another individual of note was Jean Laffrey, a French scholar and theologian who lived in the 16th century. He was a professor at the University of Paris and wrote several influential works on religious doctrine.
In the 17th century, a man named Pierre Laffrey was a successful merchant and trader in the city of Lyon, France. He amassed a considerable fortune through his business dealings and was known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting local charities and institutions.
The 18th century saw the rise of a family of Laffrey artists, including the painters Jacques Laffrey (1719-1798) and his son, François Laffrey (1750-1824). Both were renowned for their landscapes and portraits, and their works can be found in various art museums throughout Europe.
In the 19th century, a notable figure was Marie-Thérèse Laffrey (1815-1892), a French educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools for girls and worked tirelessly to promote equal educational opportunities for women in France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Laffrey
Among Census respondents with the surname Laffrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Laffrey 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 Laffrey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 100
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Laffrey
Laffrey 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,950 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,950 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 179 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 Laffrey 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 | #153,769 | #153,590 | 0.1% |
| Count | 106 | 104 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Laffrey bearers went from 106 to 104 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #153,590.
FAQ
Laffrey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Laffrey?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Laffrey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Laffrey?
Laffrey ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Laffrey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Laffrey.
Has Laffrey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Laffrey went from 106 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Laffrey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Laffrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Laffrey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Laffrey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Black (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Laffrey (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 Laffrey mean?
From a French location known for its many streams or creeks. 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 Laffrey (0.03 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 Laffrey?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Laffrey at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.