2000
#49,057
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 403
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Sarafian
An Armenian surname derived from the word seraf, meaning "money changer" or "banker."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 436 Americans carry the last name Sarafian. That puts it at #57,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 786,134 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sarafian 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
436
1 in 786,134
Census rank
#57,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
380
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 380 bearers of the surname Sarafian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 57805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarafian, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sarafian
The surname Sarafian has its origins in Armenia, with its earliest recorded instances appearing in the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Armenian word "saraf," which means "goldsmith" or "moneychanger." This suggests that the Sarafian family may have been involved in metalworking or financial trades during the medieval era.
One of the earliest known references to the Sarafian name can be found in a 16th-century Armenian manuscript, which mentions a scribe named Hovhannes Sarafian. This document provides valuable insight into the geographical distribution of the surname during that time period, indicating that it was prevalent in the regions of Artsakh and Syunik, located in present-day Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the Sarafian name have emerged, including Sarrafian, Sarrafyan, and Sarrafyants. These differences can often be attributed to regional dialects and linguistic influences from neighboring cultures.
Among the notable individuals bearing the Sarafian surname, one can mention Mihran Sarafian (1863-1915), an Armenian writer and educator who made significant contributions to the development of Armenian literature and education in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Another distinguished figure is Aram Sarafian (1904-1982), an Armenian-American architect and urban planner who played a crucial role in the development of modern Beirut, Lebanon. His architectural works, including the iconic Manara Tower, have left an indelible mark on the city's skyline.
The Sarafian name has also been associated with the Armenian Genocide of 1915, with several members of the family being victims of the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire. One such individual was Sahag Sarafian (1883-1915), a prominent lawyer and community leader who was arrested and executed by Ottoman authorities during the genocide.
In the realm of academia, Kevork Sarafian (1914-2002) was a renowned historian and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of the Armenian Genocide. His seminal work, "The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, 1915-1916," is considered a definitive resource on the subject.
More recently, Antranig Sarafian (born 1965) has gained recognition as a British-Armenian filmmaker and director, known for his critically acclaimed films such as "The Betrayed" and "The Promise," which explore themes of Armenian identity and the legacy of the genocide.
Throughout its long history, the Sarafian surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, leaving an indelible mark on Armenian culture, literature, architecture, and the pursuit of justice and remembrance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sarafian
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarafian, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sarafian 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 Sarafian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 351
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 11
- Black or African American2.1% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 5
- Two or more races1.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sarafian
Sarafian appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#50,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 410
+7 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 1,794 places
2020
#57,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 380
-30 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 6,954 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,057 | 403 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #50,851 | 410 | 0.14 | +7 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 1,794 places |
| 2020 | #57,805 | 380 | 0.13 | -30 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 6,954 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 Sarafian 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 | #50,851 | #57,805 | -13.7% |
| Count | 410 | 380 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.13 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sarafian bearers went from 410 to 380 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 6,954 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,851 to #57,805.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sarafian
FAQ
Sarafian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sarafian?
Name Census estimates that about 436 living Americans carry the surname Sarafian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 786,134 residents.
How common is Sarafian?
Sarafian ranks #57,805 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 380 people with the surname Sarafian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (436), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Sarafian.
Has Sarafian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sarafian went from 410 recorded bearers to 380. That is a decrease of 30 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #50,851 to #57,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Sarafian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarafian, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (2.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sarafian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (351 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sarafian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (2.9%), Black (2.1%). 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 Sarafian (2000, 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 Sarafian mean?
An Armenian surname derived from the word seraf, meaning "money changer" or "banker." 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 Sarafian (0.13 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 many people have the last name Sarafian?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Sarafian? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.