2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rafala
A Polish surname likely derived from a topographic name referring to a marsh or swampy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Rafala. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rafala 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Rafala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafala, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rafala
The surname Rafala originates from Poland, where it first appeared in the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Polish word "rafal," which means "safe harbor" or "refuge." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a safe harbor or provided shelter to travelers.
Rafala is a variation of the more common Polish surname Rafal, which can be traced back to the village of Rafal in the Podkarpackie region of southeastern Poland. The village name itself is thought to have its roots in the Old Slavic word "rafaliti," meaning "to seek refuge."
One of the earliest known records of the surname Rafala can be found in the Metryka Koronna, a collection of historical documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, dating back to the late 16th century. The records mention a nobleman named Jan Rafala, who lived in the town of Sandomierz.
In the 17th century, the Rafala name appears in various church records and land registries across Poland. For instance, a man named Tomasz Rafala is listed as a landowner in the village of Dobrzechów in 1652.
A notable figure bearing the Rafala surname was Józef Rafala (1767-1841), a Polish military officer who fought in the Kościuszko Uprising against the Russian Empire. He later served in the Polish Legions under Napoleon Bonaparte and attained the rank of general.
Another prominent individual was Franciszek Rafala (1879-1945), a Polish engineer and industrialist who founded the Rafala Mechanical Plant in Cracow. The company played a significant role in the development of Poland's machinery industry in the early 20th century.
In the realm of literature, the name Rafala is associated with Wacław Rafala (1910-1982), a Polish poet and writer who was a member of the avant-garde Kraków Avant-Garde group in the 1930s. His works explored themes of modernity and urban life.
Michał Rafala (1950-2008) was a renowned Polish actor and director, known for his performances in numerous theater productions and films. He received several awards throughout his career, including the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Gdynia Film Festival.
While the Rafala surname has its roots in Poland, it has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration. However, it remains most prevalent in its country of origin, where it continues to be a part of the rich tapestry of Polish cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rafala
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafala, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rafala 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 Rafala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rafala
Rafala 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,351 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 2,351 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,162 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 Rafala 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 | #142,108 | #144,270 | -1.5% |
| Count | 117 | 117 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rafala bearers went from 117 to 117 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #144,270.
FAQ
Rafala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rafala?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Rafala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Rafala?
Rafala ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Rafala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Rafala.
Has Rafala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rafala went from 117 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Rafala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafala, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Rafala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rafala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Rafala (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 Rafala mean?
A Polish surname likely derived from a topographic name referring to a marsh or swampy area. 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 Rafala (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 common is the surname Rafala?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Rafala on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.