2000
#65,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 283
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Raef
Arabic occupational surname referring to a water-carrier or supplier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 308 Americans carry the last name Raef. That puts it at #76,963 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,112,839 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raef 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
308
1 in 1,112,839
Census rank
#76,963
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
269
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 269 bearers of the surname Raef in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 76963rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raef, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raef
The surname RAEF is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It is thought to have emerged sometime during the Middle Ages, likely between the 12th and 14th centuries. The name is derived from the Germanic root word "raef," which means "wise" or "sage." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who were considered wise or knowledgeable within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RAEF surname can be found in the Bavarian town records from the late 13th century, where a certain Hans RAEF is mentioned as a respected member of the local guild of scholars. This provides evidence that the name was well-established in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, the RAEF surname appears in several historical documents from the city of Nuremberg, which was a major center of trade and commerce in medieval Germany. One notable example is a merchant named Johann RAEF, who is recorded as having conducted business with Italian traders in the year 1473.
As the centuries passed, the RAEF surname spread to other parts of Germany and Europe. In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Martin RAEF (1492-1559) was a Lutheran theologian and one of the key figures in the Protestant Reformation. His writings and teachings had a significant impact on the religious landscape of the time.
Another individual of note was Wilhelm RAEF (1628-1692), a German mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. His work on the calculation of planetary orbits was highly influential during the Scientific Revolution.
In the 18th century, a family of RAEF landowners and nobles can be found in the records of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, a small principality in central Germany. One member of this family, Friedrich RAEF (1732-1801), served as a military officer and later became a respected diplomat in the service of the Duke.
Over time, the RAEF surname continued to spread throughout Germany and beyond, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in different regions and countries. While the name may have undergone slight variations in spelling, such as RAFE or RÄFE, its essential meaning and origin remained rooted in the German tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raef
Among Census respondents with the surname Raef, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Raef 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 Raef surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 251
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 17
- Two or more races0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raef
Raef 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
#73,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 264
-19 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 7,972 places
2020
#76,963
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 269
+5 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 3,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #65,492 | 283 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #73,464 | 264 | 0.09 | -19 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 7,972 places |
| 2020 | #76,963 | 269 | 0.09 | +5 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 3,499 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 Raef 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 | #73,464 | #76,963 | -4.8% |
| Count | 264 | 269 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | -0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raef bearers went from 264 to 269 (+1.9% change). The surname moved down 3,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #73,464 to #76,963.
FAQ
Raef surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raef?
Name Census estimates that about 308 living Americans carry the surname Raef. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,112,839 residents.
How common is Raef?
Raef ranks #76,963 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 269 people with the surname Raef. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (308), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Raef.
Has Raef become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raef went from 264 recorded bearers to 269. That is an increase of 5 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #73,464 to #76,963.
What does the Census say about the background of Raef?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raef, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Raef in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (251 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raef appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (6.3%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Raef (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 Raef mean?
Arabic occupational surname referring to a water-carrier or supplier. 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 Raef (0.09 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 Raef?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.