Find out how popular the last name Maffei is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Maffei.

Maffei, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Maffei surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Maffei in America

Maffei is the 13824th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Maffei surname appeared 2,187 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Maffei.

We can also compare 2010 data for Maffei to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Maffei

The surname Maffei has its roots in Italy, originating from the Latin name Matthaeus. It is believed to have derived from the Hebrew name "Mattityahu," meaning "gift of God." The name Maffei can be traced back to the 12th century in the regions of Tuscany and Lombardy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Maffei surname is found in a manuscript from the city of Verona, dated around 1190. This document mentions a nobleman named Maffeo Maffei, who was a prominent figure in the local government at the time.

In the 13th century, the Maffei family gained significant influence and wealth in the city of Bergamo, located in the region of Lombardy. The family's coat of arms, featuring three golden stars on a blue field, can still be seen on several historic buildings in the city.

During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the Maffei surname. Raffaello Maffei (1451-1522) was a renowned humanist and scholar from Volterra, who wrote extensively on the Italian language and literature. Another prominent figure was Bernardino Maffei (1514-1549), a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, who played a crucial role in the Council of Trent.

In the 17th century, Giovanni Pietro Maffei (1535-1603), a mathematician and astronomer from Bergamo, made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. His work on the theory of the Moon's motion was highly regarded by his contemporaries.

The 18th century saw the rise of Scipione Maffei (1675-1755), a renowned antiquarian, writer, and art critic from Verona. He is best known for his treatise on ancient amphitheaters, which helped shape the study of Roman architecture.

Another notable bearer of the Maffei surname was Andrea Maffei (1798-1885), an Italian patriot and politician from Molise. He played a significant role in the unification of Italy and served as a member of the Italian Parliament.

Throughout history, the Maffei surname has been associated with various place names and geographical locations, such as the town of Maffei in the province of Modena, and the village of Maffei in the province of Salerno.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Maffei

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Maffei.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Maffei was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Maffei has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Maffei was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Maffei, please contact us.

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