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

Raftery, 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 Raftery surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raftery in America

Raftery is the 16457th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raftery surname appeared 1,747 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Raftery.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raftery 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 Raftery

The surname Raftery is of Irish origin, with roots tracing back to the ancient Gaelic language. It is believed to have originated in the 11th or 12th century, derived from the Gaelic word "ráftar" meaning "prosperous" or "lucky."

The name Raftery was initially concentrated in the counties of Galway, Mayo, and Sligo in the west of Ireland. It is thought to have been adopted as a surname by descendants of an influential family or clan who held a prominent position in their local community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raftery can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century by Irish Franciscan monks. The name appears in an entry from the year 1285, referring to a certain "Raftar O'Conor" who was a member of the influential O'Conor clan of Connacht.

In the 16th century, the Raftery name was associated with the bardic tradition in Ireland. Aodhagán Ó Rathaille, a renowned Irish poet and bard who lived from 1670 to 1727, was also known as "Raftery" or "An Rathaille." His poetic works, many of which were composed in the Irish language, are celebrated for their rich imagery and insightful commentary on contemporary society.

Another notable figure with the Raftery surname was Anthony Raftery, a 19th-century Irish storyteller and poet from County Mayo. Born in 1784, Raftery was renowned for his wit, wisdom, and mastery of the Irish language. His poems and tales, often recited at local gatherings and fairs, have become an integral part of the oral tradition in the west of Ireland.

In the late 19th century, the Raftery name appeared in historical records associated with the Land Wars in Ireland. Michael Raftery, a tenant farmer from County Sligo, was a prominent figure in the Land League movement, advocating for land reform and fair treatment of Irish tenants.

Throughout the centuries, the Raftery surname has also been found in various locations across Ireland, with slight variations in spelling such as Rafferty, Raferty, and Rathaire. These variations often reflected local dialects and the influences of different Gaelic and English spellings over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raftery

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

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

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

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