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

Rafique, 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 Rafique surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rafique in America

Rafique is the 44872nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rafique surname appeared 478 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 Rafique.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rafique 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 Rafique

The surname Rafique is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "rafiq" meaning "companion" or "friend." It is believed to have originated in the Middle East during the 7th century AD, a time when the Islamic empire was rapidly expanding and Arabic names were becoming more widespread.

Over the centuries, the name Rafique spread across various regions of the Middle East and North Africa, where it was adopted by various communities. In some areas, the name may have evolved into different spellings or variations, such as Rafik, Rafeeq, or Rafeek.

One of the earliest known references to the name Rafique can be found in medieval Islamic manuscripts and records, particularly those documenting trade and travel routes between the Middle East and other regions. However, the specific details of these early records are often obscured by time and the scarcity of surviving documents.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Rafique al-Isfahani, a Persian scholar and poet, gained prominence in the court of the Seljuk Empire. His works, which were highly regarded during his time, contributed to the recognition and spread of the name Rafique.

During the Ottoman Empire's reign, which spanned from the 13th to the 20th century, the name Rafique was prevalent among various ethnic and religious communities within the empire's territories. One notable individual was Rafique Pasha, an Ottoman statesman and military leader who served in the 19th century.

In the Indian subcontinent, the name Rafique gained popularity after the arrival of Muslim rulers and settlers from Central Asia and the Middle East. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Rafique Mirza, a nobleman and courtier who served under the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century.

Another prominent figure with the surname Rafique was Mustafa Rafique, a renowned Bengali poet and writer from the 19th century, whose works were influential in the literary and cultural renaissance of Bengal.

As trade and migration patterns evolved, the name Rafique spread to other regions, including parts of Europe and the Americas. In the 20th century, notable individuals with this surname include Rafique Bhatti, a Pakistani cricketer who played for the national team in the 1970s, and Rafique Mughal, a British-Pakistani writer and journalist known for his contributions to literature and journalism.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rafique

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

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 Rafique 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 Rafique 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 Rafique was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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