Find out how popular the last name Rafi is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rafi.

Rafi, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rafi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rafi in America

Rafi is the 37492nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rafi surname appeared 594 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rafi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rafi to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rafi

The surname RAFI is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region that is now known as Iran. It is thought to have first emerged sometime during the 6th or 7th century CE, when the Persian Empire was at its peak.

One possible origin of the name RAFI is that it is derived from the Persian word "rafi," which means "companion" or "friend." This would suggest that the name was initially used to refer to someone who was a loyal companion or close friend to a notable figure or leader.

Another theory is that the name RAFI is a shortened form of the Arabic name "Rafiq," which also means "companion" or "friend." This would indicate that the name may have been brought to the region by Arab traders or settlers during the spread of Islam in the 7th and 8th centuries.

The earliest known record of the surname RAFI appears in a Persian manuscript from the 9th century CE, which mentions a scholar and poet named Abul Hasan Ali ibn Rafi. This individual is believed to have lived in the city of Shiraz, which was a major cultural and intellectual center during that time period.

Over the centuries, the name RAFI has been found in various historical records and documents across the Middle East and Central Asia. One notable example is Mirza Rafi Sauda, a renowned Urdu poet who lived in the 18th century and was a part of the literary circle in Delhi, India.

Another famous individual with the surname RAFI was Rafi Peer Theatre Baz, a renowned Iranian actor and director who was born in 1935 and passed away in 2015. He was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the Iranian theatre scene and was known for his innovative productions.

In the world of music, one of the most celebrated singers with the surname RAFI was Mohammed Rafi, an Indian playback singer who was born in 1924 and died in 1980. He is considered one of the greatest and most influential singers in the history of Indian cinema, having recorded over 25,000 songs in various Indian languages.

Other notable individuals with the surname RAFI include Rafi Letzter, an American journalist and science writer who has contributed to publications such as Live Science and Business Insider, and Rafi Greenberg, an Israeli-American academic and author who has written extensively on topics related to Jewish studies and Middle Eastern history.

While the surname RAFI has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Persian and Arabic civilizations, where it was likely first used as a descriptive name or nickname to denote a close companion or friend.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rafi

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rafi.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rafi was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rafi has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rafi was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rafi, please contact us.

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