2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Lafi
Of Moroccan origin, meaning "the taker" or "the gatherer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Lafi. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lafi 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Lafi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lafi, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.7%) and Two or More Races (11.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lafi
The surname LAFI is believed to have originated from the Middle East, specifically in regions such as Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. It is derived from the Arabic word "lafi," which means "to wrap" or "to cover." This suggests that the name may have been associated with occupations related to textile or cloth production, such as weavers or tailors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LAFI surname can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in historical records from the city of Baghdad. During this period, the name was often spelled as "al-Lafi" or "el-Lafi," reflecting its Arabic roots.
In the 14th century, the LAFI surname was documented in several manuscripts and chronicles from the Ottoman Empire, indicating that individuals with this name held positions of significance within the empire's administrative and cultural spheres.
A notable figure bearing the LAFI surname was Abu'l-Faraj al-Lafi, a renowned Arab historian and scholar who lived in the 13th century. His work, "The History of the World," provided valuable insights into the cultural and political landscapes of the Middle East during that time.
Another prominent individual with the LAFI surname was Muhammad al-Lafi, a 15th-century poet and calligrapher from Damascus, Syria. His contributions to Arabic literature and calligraphic arts were highly regarded in his era.
In the 19th century, the LAFI surname was associated with a prominent family from Aleppo, Syria. One member of this family, Abdallah al-Lafi, was a respected merchant and philanthropist who played a significant role in the city's economic and social development.
The LAFI surname has also been found in historical records from regions such as Iran and Egypt, suggesting that individuals bearing this name migrated and settled in various parts of the Middle East over the centuries.
It is worth noting that the LAFI surname is sometimes confused with the similar-sounding name "Lafi," which has different origins and meanings. The latter is a variant of the Arabic name "Latif," meaning "kind" or "gentle."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lafi
Among Census respondents with the surname Lafi, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.7%) and Two or More Races (11.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lafi 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 Lafi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.9% · 66
- Black or African American14.7% · 17
- Two or more races11.2% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino10.3% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.9% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lafi
Lafi appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+14 bearers (+13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.7%) | Up 13,404 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 Lafi 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 | #158,432 | #145,028 | 8.5% |
| Count | 102 | 116 | 13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 29.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lafi bearers went from 102 to 116 (+13.7% change). The surname moved up 13,404 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #145,028.
FAQ
Lafi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lafi?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Lafi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Lafi?
Lafi ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 116 people with the surname Lafi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Lafi.
Has Lafi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lafi went from 102 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 14 (+13.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Lafi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lafi, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.7%) and Two or More Races (11.2%). 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 Lafi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.9% (66 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lafi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.9%), Black (14.7%), Two or More Races (11.2%). 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 Lafi (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 Lafi mean?
Of Moroccan origin, meaning "the taker" or "the gatherer." 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 Lafi (0.04 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 share the surname Lafi?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.