2000
#16,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,635
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.61
Rare Last name
Rafter
A surname derived from the occupation of a rafter, one who constructs roofs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,851 Americans carry the last name Rafter. That puts it at #17,175 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 185,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rafter 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 Rafter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 185,173
Census rank
#17,175
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,614 bearers of the surname Rafter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17175th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafter, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rafter
The surname Rafter is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "ræftr," which referred to the horizontal beams used in the construction of a roof. The name likely originated as an occupational surname, given to skilled carpenters or builders specializing in the making and installation of rafters.
During the medieval period, the surname Rafter was most prevalent in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, where many skilled craftsmen and builders were employed in the construction of churches, castles, and other significant structures. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a reference to a Thomas le Raftere in the Lancashire Pipe Rolls of 1246.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Rafter was Sir John Rafter, a prominent architect and master builder in the late 15th century. He is credited with the design and construction of several notable buildings, including the iconic Southwark Cathedral in London, which was completed in 1489.
In the 16th century, the name Rafter appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1523, which listed several individuals with the surname, such as Robert Rafter of Doncaster and William Rafter of York.
Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Rafter (1602-1669), a successful merchant and landowner from Lancashire. He played a significant role in the development of the town of Lytham during the 17th century and was a prominent supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
The surname Rafter also has connections to place names in England, such as Rafter's Green in Hertfordshire and Rafter's Moor in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname who lived or owned land in those areas.
Other notable individuals with the surname Rafter include John Rafter (1755-1832), a respected shipbuilder from Whitby, Yorkshire, and George Rafter (1819-1892), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London during the Victorian era.
Rafter continues to be a relatively uncommon surname, particularly in the United States and other parts of the world, but it retains its historical connections to the skilled craftsmanship of carpentry and construction in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rafter
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafter, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Rafter 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 Rafter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 1,428
- Black or African American4.2% · 67
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 53
- Two or more races3.0% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rafter
Rafter 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
#16,984
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,673
+38 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Down 746 places
2020
#17,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,614
-59 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Down 191 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,238 | 1,635 | 0.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,984 | 1,673 | 0.57 | +38 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 746 places |
| 2020 | #17,175 | 1,614 | 0.54 | -59 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 191 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 Rafter 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 | #16,984 | #17,175 | -1.1% |
| Count | 1,673 | 1,614 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.54 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rafter bearers went from 1,673 to 1,614 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 191 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,984 to #17,175.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rafter
FAQ
Rafter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rafter?
Name Census estimates that about 1,851 living Americans carry the surname Rafter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 185,173 residents.
How common is Rafter?
Rafter ranks #17,175 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,614 people with the surname Rafter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,851), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rafter.
Has Rafter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rafter went from 1,673 recorded bearers to 1,614. That is a decrease of 59 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,984 to #17,175.
What does the Census say about the background of Rafter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafter, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Rafter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (1,428 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rafter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Black (4.2%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Rafter (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 Rafter mean?
A surname derived from the occupation of a rafter, one who constructs roofs. 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 Rafter (0.54 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 Americans have the surname Rafter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.