2000
#3,595
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,077
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.36
Uncommon Last name
Rafferty
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Raifeartaigh, meaning "descendant of Raifeartach," a personal name of uncertain meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,287 Americans carry the last name Rafferty. That puts it at #3,851 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,319 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rafferty 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 Rafferty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,319
Census rank
#3,851
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,971 bearers of the surname Rafferty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3851st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafferty, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rafferty
The surname Rafferty originated in Ireland, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Rabhartaigh, which means "descendant of Rabhartach." Rabhartach was likely a personal name derived from the Old Irish word "rabarta," meaning "sport" or "frolic."
The Rafferty name is most commonly associated with County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland. Historical records suggest that the Rafferty clan was a prominent family in this region during the Middle Ages. The name appears in various medieval Irish manuscripts and annals, including the Annals of Ulster, which mention several members of the Rafferty family.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Rafferty name was Aodh Ó Rabhartaigh, who lived in the 14th century and was a chieftain of the Rafferty clan in County Donegal. Another notable figure was Ruaidhri Ó Rabhartaigh, who served as a member of the Irish Parliament in the 16th century.
As the Rafferty family spread throughout Ireland and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Raftery, Rafferty,Raverty, and Reverty. Some of these variations were influenced by anglicization, while others were regional adaptations.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Rafferty family settled in County Mayo, where they became prominent landowners. One notable member was John Rafferty, who was born in 1745 and served as a member of the Irish Parliament for County Mayo.
Other notable individuals with the Rafferty surname include:
1. Anthony Rafferty (1784-1854), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator.
2. Mary Rafferty (1884-1955), an Irish-American labor organizer and activist.
3. Geri Rafferty (1946-2011), an American jazz saxophonist and composer.
4. Patrick Rafferty (1957-2021), a Canadian playwright and screenwriter.
5. John Rafferty (1952-2018), an American football player who played for the Detroit Lions in the NFL.
The Rafferty surname has a rich history rooted in Ireland's ancient past, with connections to prominent figures and families throughout the centuries. While its spelling and regional variations have evolved over time, the name continues to hold significance as a marker of Irish heritage and identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rafferty
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafferty, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rafferty 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 Rafferty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 8,323
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 250
- Two or more races2.6% · 232
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 80
- Black or African American0.7% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rafferty
Rafferty 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
#3,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,311
+234 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 3.16
Rank movement Down 207 places
2020
#3,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,971
-340 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 3.00
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,595 | 9,077 | 3.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,802 | 9,311 | 3.16 | +234 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 207 places |
| 2020 | #3,851 | 8,971 | 3.00 | -340 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 49 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 Rafferty 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 | #3,802 | #3,851 | -1.3% |
| Count | 9,311 | 8,971 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.16 | 3.00 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rafferty bearers went from 9,311 to 8,971 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,802 to #3,851.
FAQ
Rafferty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rafferty?
Name Census estimates that about 10,287 living Americans carry the surname Rafferty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,319 residents.
How common is Rafferty?
Rafferty ranks #3,851 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,971 people with the surname Rafferty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,287), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Rafferty.
Has Rafferty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rafferty went from 9,311 recorded bearers to 8,971. That is a decrease of 340 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,802 to #3,851.
What does the Census say about the background of Rafferty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafferty, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Rafferty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (8,323 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rafferty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Rafferty (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 Rafferty mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Raifeartaigh, meaning "descendant of Raifeartach," a personal name of uncertain meaning. 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 Rafferty (3.00 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 have the last name Rafferty?
You can see how common the surname Rafferty is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.