2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Maffie
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Maffie. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maffie 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Maffie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maffie, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maffie
The surname Maffie has its origins in Italy, with records indicating its presence as early as the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the town of Maffia, located in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of southern Italy. The name may have originated from the Latin word "maffius," which means "massive" or "large," possibly referring to the size of the town or a physical characteristic of the original bearer.
One of the earliest documented records of the name Maffie can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of diplomatic documents from the 13th century related to the city of Bari in the Apulia region of southern Italy. This suggests that the name was already established in the area during that time period.
In the 14th century, a notable individual named Gian Maffie was a prominent merchant and financier in the city of Venice. His business dealings and wealth were well-documented in the city's archives, providing insight into the economic activities of the Maffie family during that era.
During the Renaissance period, the Maffie name gained further recognition with the birth of Jacopo Maffie (1456-1528), a celebrated Italian humanist scholar and poet from Bergamo. His works, including Latin poetry and translations of ancient Greek texts, were widely circulated and admired throughout Europe.
In the 17th century, the Maffie surname appeared in the historic town of Amalfi, located along the picturesque Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. One notable figure from this time was Pietro Maffie (1623-1692), a skilled architect who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and public buildings in the region.
Another prominent individual bearing the Maffie name was Giulio Maffie (1789-1868), a Italian diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Sardinia in the mid-19th century. His diplomatic efforts played a significant role in the unification of Italy during that pivotal period.
Throughout its history, the Maffie surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Italy, with its roots tracing back to the southern regions of Campania and Apulia. While the name has evolved slightly over time, its Italian heritage and connection to the town of Maffia have remained a consistent thread in its fascinating journey.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maffie
Among Census respondents with the surname Maffie, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Maffie 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 Maffie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.3% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino11.2% · 12
- Two or more races5.6% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maffie
Maffie 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,479 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,419 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 6,479 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 6,419 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 Maffie 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 | #145,220 | #151,639 | -4.4% |
| Count | 114 | 107 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maffie bearers went from 114 to 107 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 6,419 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #151,639.
FAQ
Maffie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maffie?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Maffie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Maffie?
Maffie ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Maffie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Maffie.
Has Maffie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maffie went from 114 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Maffie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maffie, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Maffie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maffie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.3%), Hispanic (11.2%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Maffie (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 Maffie mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or nickname. 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 Maffie (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 Maffie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.