Safin
A surname indicating someone having olive orchards or oil press.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 206 Americans carry the last name Safin. That puts it at #97,210 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,663,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Safin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
206
1 in 1,663,856
Census rank
#97,210
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
187
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 187 bearers of the surname Safin in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 97210th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Safin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Safin
The surname SAFIN originated in Russia in the 16th century. It is derived from the Russian word "safyan," which means "morocco leather." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with leatherworkers or tanners.
SAFIN is believed to have its roots in the Volga region of Russia, particularly in the cities of Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod, which were once centers of leather production and trade. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in tax records and census documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in these areas.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname SAFIN was Ivan Safin, a merchant from Kazan who lived in the late 16th century. He is mentioned in a chronicle from 1586 as having traded in leather goods with other merchants from neighboring regions.
In the 18th century, the SAFIN surname appeared in various military records and court documents in the Russian Empire. For example, Pyotr Safin was a soldier who fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774.
The name SAFIN has also been associated with certain place names, such as the village of Safinki in the Nizhny Novgorod region, which likely derived its name from the surname itself.
Notable individuals with the surname SAFIN include:
1. Marat Safin (born 1980), a former professional tennis player from Russia who won two Grand Slam singles titles and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 1 in the world.
2. Mikhail Safin (1767-1826), a Russian military engineer and architect who designed several fortresses and buildings in St. Petersburg and other cities.
3. Yevgeny Safin (1919-2007), a Soviet-Russian writer and journalist who wrote extensively about World War II and received numerous literary awards.
4. Vasily Safin (1795-1864), a Russian painter known for his landscapes and portraits, who taught at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg.
5. Gennady Safin (1939-2007), a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster who represented the Soviet Union in several Chess Olympiads and won numerous international tournaments.
While the SAFIN surname has spread beyond its original roots in Russia, it remains closely associated with the country's history and cultural heritage, particularly in the regions where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Safin
Among Census respondents with the surname Safin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Safin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Safin surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9%
- Hispanic or Latino3.2%
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Safin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #97,210 | #97,210 | 0.0% |
| Count | 187 | 187 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Safin bearers went from 187 to 187 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #97,210 to #97,210.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Safin
FAQ
Safin surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Safin?
The surname Safin holds position #97,210 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 206 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Safin surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Safin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.