2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mafera
An Italian surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Mafera.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Mafera. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mafera 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Mafera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mafera, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mafera
The surname MAFERA has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "mafora," which means "large house" or "villa." This suggests that the name was initially associated with families who owned or resided in substantial dwellings.
In the early days, the name was more commonly spelled as "Mafora" or "Maforo," reflecting the phonetic variations that existed before standardized spellings became widespread. These early variations can be found in historical records and documents from various regions of Italy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MAFERA appears in a 13th-century manuscript from the region of Tuscany, where a nobleman named Giovanni Mafora is mentioned as a landowner. This document provides valuable insight into the name's history and its association with landowning families during that era.
Another notable reference to the name can be found in a 14th-century registry from the city of Venice, where a merchant named Marco Mafora is listed as a member of the prestigious Venetian trade guild. This record highlights the name's connection to the mercantile class and its expansion beyond the confines of Tuscany.
In the 15th century, a branch of the MAFERA family settled in the region of Campania, where they established a prominent presence. One of the most notable figures from this lineage was Antonio Mafera (1487-1562), a renowned scholar and philosopher who authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.
The name MAFERA also has ties to the island of Sicily, where it can be traced back to the town of Caltanissetta. In the 16th century, a wealthy landowner named Giuseppe Mafera (1534-1612) was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributions to the local community.
In the 18th century, the MAFERA name gained further recognition when Giovanni Battista Mafera (1712-1785) became a prominent figure in the Neapolitan artistic scene. He was a celebrated painter and fresco artist, whose works adorned numerous churches and palaces throughout the region.
As the MAFERA name spread across Italy, it underwent various spelling variations, including Maffera, Maffero, and Mafferio. These regional variations reflect the linguistic diversity of the Italian peninsula and the adaptations made by families as they moved from one area to another.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mafera
Among Census respondents with the surname Mafera, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mafera 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 Mafera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 94
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mafera
Mafera 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,228 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-17 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,598 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 5,228 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -17 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 14,598 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 Mafera 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 | #140,157 | #154,755 | -10.4% |
| Count | 119 | 102 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mafera bearers went from 119 to 102 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 14,598 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #154,755.
FAQ
Mafera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mafera?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Mafera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Mafera?
Mafera ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Mafera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Mafera.
Has Mafera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mafera went from 119 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 17 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Mafera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mafera, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Mafera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mafera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Black (2.0%). 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 Mafera (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 Mafera mean?
An Italian surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Mafera. 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 Mafera (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 many people have the surname Mafera?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.