2000
#12,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,169
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Maffei
Derived from a nickname meaning "jaw" or "jowls," likely referring to someone with a prominent or distinctive jawline.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,264 Americans carry the last name Maffei. That puts it at #14,522 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,393 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maffei 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Maffei with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,393
Census rank
#14,522
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,974 bearers of the surname Maffei in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14522nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maffei, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maffei
Among Census respondents with the surname Maffei, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Maffei 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 Maffei surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 1,780
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 108
- Two or more races2.8% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 18
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maffei
Maffei 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
#13,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,187
+18 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 863 places
2020
#14,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,974
-213 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 698 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,961 | 2,169 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,824 | 2,187 | 0.74 | +18 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 863 places |
| 2020 | #14,522 | 1,974 | 0.66 | -213 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 698 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 Maffei 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 | #13,824 | #14,522 | -5.0% |
| Count | 2,187 | 1,974 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.66 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maffei bearers went from 2,187 to 1,974 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 698 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,824 to #14,522.
FAQ
Maffei surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maffei?
Name Census estimates that about 2,264 living Americans carry the surname Maffei. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,393 residents.
How common is Maffei?
Maffei ranks #14,522 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,974 people with the surname Maffei. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,264), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Maffei.
Has Maffei become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maffei went from 2,187 recorded bearers to 1,974. That is a decrease of 213 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,824 to #14,522.
What does the Census say about the background of Maffei?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maffei, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Maffei in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (1,780 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maffei appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Maffei (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 Maffei mean?
Derived from a nickname meaning "jaw" or "jowls," likely referring to someone with a prominent or distinctive jawline. 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 Maffei (0.66 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 Americans have the surname Maffei?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.