2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rafizadeh
A Persian surname meaning "son of a traveler or wayfarer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Rafizadeh. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rafizadeh 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Rafizadeh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafizadeh, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rafizadeh
The surname Rafizadeh is of Persian origin, derived from the Arabic word "rafi," meaning "companion," and the Persian suffix "-zadeh," meaning "son of." This name originated in Iran during the medieval period and was initially given to individuals who were companions or associates of prominent figures or religious leaders.
Rafizadeh is believed to have first appeared in historical records in the 13th century, during the reign of the Ilkhanid dynasty in Persia. This dynasty, established by Genghis Khan's grandson Hulagu, ruled over a vast territory stretching from modern-day Iran to parts of Central Asia and Anatolia.
One of the earliest known references to the name Rafizadeh can be found in a manuscript from the 14th century, which mentions a scholar and poet named Mahmud Rafizadeh, who lived in the city of Shiraz during the reign of the Injuid dynasty.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Rafizadeh was Mirza Muhammad Rafizadeh, a renowned calligrapher and poet who served at the court of the Timurid ruler, Shah Rukh. His works were highly regarded and are still preserved in various museums and collections around the world.
During the Safavid era, which lasted from the 16th to the 18th century, the Rafizadeh family gained prominence in the city of Isfahan. One of the most famous members was Mirza Ali Rafizadeh, a celebrated architect who contributed to the construction of several mosques and palaces in Isfahan, including the iconic Imam Mosque.
Another prominent figure with the surname Rafizadeh was Mirza Hasan Rafizadeh, a 19th-century poet and scholar who served as the court poet during the Qajar dynasty. His works were widely acclaimed and influenced the literary traditions of his time.
In more recent history, Hossein Rafizadeh (1919-1995) was a renowned Iranian painter and sculptor, known for his unique style that blended traditional Persian elements with modern techniques. His works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums around the world, cementing his legacy as one of Iran's most celebrated artists.
While the surname Rafizadeh is predominantly found in Iran, it has also gained recognition in other parts of the world due to the Persian diaspora. However, the historical roots and significance of this name can be traced back to its origins in the rich cultural heritage of Persia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rafizadeh
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafizadeh, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rafizadeh 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 Rafizadeh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 97
- Two or more races5.4% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rafizadeh
Rafizadeh appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,963 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 Rafizadeh 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 | #152,628 | #148,665 | 2.6% |
| Count | 107 | 111 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rafizadeh bearers went from 107 to 111 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #148,665.
FAQ
Rafizadeh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rafizadeh?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Rafizadeh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Rafizadeh?
Rafizadeh ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Rafizadeh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Rafizadeh.
Has Rafizadeh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rafizadeh went from 107 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Rafizadeh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafizadeh, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Rafizadeh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rafizadeh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Two or More Races (5.4%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Rafizadeh (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 Rafizadeh mean?
A Persian surname meaning "son of a traveler or wayfarer." 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 Rafizadeh (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 many people have the surname Rafizadeh?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.