Saffari last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Saffari

A surname derived from the Persian word "safari" meaning a journey or expedition.

Saffari, 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 Saffari surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saffari in America

Saffari is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saffari surname appeared 131 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 Saffari.

The history of the last name Saffari

The surname SAFFARI is of Persian origin and can be traced back to the 11th century in the region that is now modern-day Iran. It is derived from the Persian word "safar," which means "journey" or "travel." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who frequently traveled or was a traveler by profession.

One of the earliest known references to the name SAFFARI can be found in the Tarikh-e Beyhaghi, a historical chronicle written in the 11th century by the Persian historian Abu'l-Fazl Beyhaqi. In this work, Beyhaqi mentions a person named Saffari who was a prominent merchant and trader during the reign of the Ghaznavid Empire.

The name SAFFARI also appears in various medieval Persian manuscripts and documents, such as the Shahnameh, the epic poem written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century. In one of the stories, a character named Saffari is mentioned as a brave warrior who fought alongside the legendary Persian hero, Rustam.

During the 13th century, a notable figure named Shams al-Din Saffari lived in the city of Shiraz, which was a major cultural and literary center in Persia at the time. Shams al-Din Saffari was a renowned poet and scholar who contributed significantly to the development of Persian literature and poetry.

Another prominent individual with the surname SAFFARI was Mirza Saffari, a 17th-century Persian diplomat and ambassador who served under the Safavid dynasty. Mirza Saffari played a crucial role in negotiating treaties and establishing diplomatic relations between Persia and various European powers.

In the 19th century, a notable figure named Haji Saffari hailed from the city of Kashan, which was known for its rich cultural heritage and vibrant bazaars. Haji Saffari was a successful merchant and trader who traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and established trade routes and commercial networks.

It is worth noting that the surname SAFFARI has also been associated with various place names in Iran, such as the town of Saffari in the province of Razavi Khorasan. Additionally, there are variations in the spelling of the name, including Saffary, Safari, and Safary, which may be attributed to regional dialects or historical transcriptions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saffari

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

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 Saffari was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 83.21% 109
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 16.03% 21
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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.

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

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

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"Saffari last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 12, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/saffari-surname-popularity/.

"Saffari last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/saffari-surname-popularity/. Accessed 12 June, 2025

Saffari last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/saffari-surname-popularity/.

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