2000
#71,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 254
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Raffin
An occupational surname of French origin referring to a grape harvester or winemaker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 344 Americans carry the last name Raffin. That puts it at #70,358 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 996,379 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raffin 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
344
1 in 996,379
Census rank
#70,358
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
300
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 300 bearers of the surname Raffin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 70358th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raffin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Black (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raffin
The surname Raffin originated in France, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "rafin," which means "subtle" or "refined." The name was initially associated with individuals who displayed a certain level of sophistication or cleverness.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Raffin surname can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Savigny, a manuscript from the late 12th century that documents the affairs of the Savigny Abbey in Normandy. This suggests that the name may have initially been concentrated in the Normandy region.
In the 14th century, the Raffin surname appears in the Armorial général de France, a registry of French nobles and nobility compiled during the reign of King Louis XIV. This indicates that some members of the Raffin family had achieved a certain level of prominence and status by that time.
Notable individuals with the Raffin surname include Jean Raffin (1537-1624), a French Jesuit priest and philosopher who wrote extensively on theology and ethics. Another prominent figure was Jacques Raffin (1678-1740), a French architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice.
In the 18th century, Jean-François Raffin (1718-1792) was a French physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of medicinal plants. He published several works on the subject, including "Traité des plantes usuelles" (Treatise on Useful Plants).
Moving into the 19th century, Pierre Raffin (1804-1877) was a French industrialist who played a crucial role in the development of the textile industry in the region of Normandy. He founded several successful textile mills and was known for his innovative manufacturing techniques.
Another notable Raffin was Eugène Raffin (1858-1924), a French painter and illustrator who was part of the Impressionist movement. His works often depicted scenes of everyday life in Paris and the French countryside.
While the Raffin surname has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and other French-speaking regions. However, the name remains most prevalent in its country of origin, where it continues to hold historical significance and connections to various notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raffin
Among Census respondents with the surname Raffin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Black (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Raffin 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 Raffin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 258
- Two or more races7.3% · 22
- Black or African American2.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raffin
Raffin 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
#71,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 272
+18 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 68 places
2020
#70,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 300
+28 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 1,320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #71,610 | 254 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #71,678 | 272 | 0.09 | +18 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 68 places |
| 2020 | #70,358 | 300 | 0.10 | +28 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 1,320 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 Raffin 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 | #71,678 | #70,358 | 1.8% |
| Count | 272 | 300 | 10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.10 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raffin bearers went from 272 to 300 (+10.3% change). The surname moved up 1,320 positions in the national ranking, going from #71,678 to #70,358.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Raffin
FAQ
Raffin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raffin?
Name Census estimates that about 344 living Americans carry the surname Raffin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 996,379 residents.
How common is Raffin?
Raffin ranks #70,358 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 300 people with the surname Raffin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (344), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Raffin.
Has Raffin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raffin went from 272 recorded bearers to 300. That is an increase of 28 (+10.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #71,678 to #70,358.
What does the Census say about the background of Raffin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raffin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Black (2.3%). 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 Raffin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (258 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raffin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Two or More Races (7.3%), Black (2.3%). 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 Raffin (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 Raffin mean?
An occupational surname of French origin referring to a grape harvester or winemaker. 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 Raffin (0.10 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 Raffin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.