2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rafuls
A variant spelling of the Catalan surname "Rafols", referring to someone from a specific location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Rafuls. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rafuls 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Rafuls in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafuls, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.0%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rafuls
The surname RAFULS is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain during the medieval period. This surname is believed to have derived from the Catalan word "rafe," which means "radish" or "radish field." This suggests that the name may have originated from an occupation or location associated with radish cultivation or trading.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RAFULS surname appears in the Catalan town of Vilafranca del Penedès during the 13th century. Historical records from this period mention a prominent landowner named Pere RAFULS, who owned several radish fields in the region. It is likely that the surname initially emerged as a descriptive identifier for individuals involved in radish cultivation or trade.
In the 15th century, the RAFULS surname can be found in various documents from the city of Barcelona, where several members of the family were involved in the local guilds and trades. Notably, a merchant named Joan RAFULS is mentioned in the city's records as a prominent figure in the spice trade.
During the 16th century, the RAFULS family expanded their presence across the Iberian Peninsula. One notable individual was Francesc RAFULS (1522-1587), a renowned scholar and philosopher who taught at the University of Valencia. His writings on ethics and moral philosophy were widely influential during the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, the RAFULS surname gained prominence in the Americas as Spanish colonists and settlers began to establish themselves in the New World. One such figure was Pedro RAFULS (1629-1688), a navigator and explorer who accompanied expeditions to the Caribbean and Central America. His detailed maps and chronicles of these voyages were invaluable resources for future explorers.
Another notable figure was María RAFULS (1745-1821), a celebrated painter and portraitist who worked in the colonial city of Havana, Cuba. Her artworks, depicting the wealthy elite and prominent figures of the time, are now housed in various museums and galleries across Latin America.
As the RAFULS surname spread throughout Spain and its colonies, it became associated with various occupations, including agriculture, trade, academia, and the arts. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings in the radish fields of Catalonia, it has since gained a rich historical legacy spanning centuries and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rafuls
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafuls, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.0%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rafuls 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 Rafuls surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.0% · 90
- White10.0% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rafuls
Rafuls 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
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-6 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,913 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 1,913 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 Rafuls 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 | #153,769 | #155,682 | -1.2% |
| Count | 106 | 100 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rafuls bearers went from 106 to 100 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 1,913 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #155,682.
FAQ
Rafuls surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rafuls?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Rafuls. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Rafuls?
Rafuls ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Rafuls. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Rafuls.
Has Rafuls become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rafuls went from 106 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Rafuls?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rafuls, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.0%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rafuls in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rafuls appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.0%), White (10.0%). 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 Rafuls (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 Rafuls mean?
A variant spelling of the Catalan surname "Rafols", referring to someone from a specific location. 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 Rafuls (0.03 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 common is the surname Rafuls?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Rafuls on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.