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

Saffell, 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 Saffell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saffell in America

Saffell is the 19581st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saffell surname appeared 1,378 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 Saffell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saffell 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 Saffell

The surname Saffell originated in England. It is derived from the Old English words 'sealf' meaning 'willow' and 'fell' meaning 'hill' or 'ridge'. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a willow-covered hill or ridge.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname dates back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, one Richard de Salfhil is mentioned. This is likely an early variant spelling of the name Saffell.

By the 14th century, the name had evolved to its more modern spelling. The Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list one John Salfell. This suggests the name was well-established in the Yorkshire region by this time.

The Saffell name also appears in several other early records and documents. In the Wills at Chester from 1592, one William Saffell is referenced. A Thomas Saffell is recorded in the Parish Registers of St. Michael's in Somerset from 1611.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Saffell name was John Saffell, born in 1587 in Westmorland, England. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Vicar of Broughton in Lancashire.

Another notable figure was Richard Saffell, born in 1651 in Yorkshire. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and served as the Mayor of Leeds in 1692.

In the 18th century, William Saffell (1709-1781) was a respected lawyer and judge from Gloucestershire. He served as the Recorder of Gloucester from 1763 until his death.

The Saffell name also has connections to various place names in England. The village of Saffell in Lancashire likely took its name from the surname, as did the Saffell Hills in Yorkshire.

One of the most famous bearers of the Saffell name was Sir Thomas Saffell (1857-1939), a British military officer and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for Barnsley from 1906 to 1918.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saffell

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

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

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

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