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

Scaff, 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 Scaff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Scaff in America

Scaff is the 36970th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Scaff surname appeared 604 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 Scaff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Scaff 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 Scaff

The surname Scaff is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "scaff," which means a cabinet or a chest. It is thought that the name was initially given to a person whose occupation was related to making cabinets or chests.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Scaff can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 12th century. The name appears in a document dated 1187, which mentions a person named "Heinrich Scaff" from the town of Mainz.

During the Middle Ages, the Scaff name was particularly prominent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Several historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries reference individuals bearing this surname, including a merchant named "Hans Scaff" from Nuremberg, who lived between 1290 and 1358.

The surname Scaff has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany. For example, the town of Schaffhausen, located in the southwestern part of the country, was once known as "Scaffhusen" in the 14th century. This suggests that the name may have derived from a place name in some instances.

One notable figure in history with the surname Scaff was Johann Scaff, a renowned German painter who lived from 1565 to 1629. He is renowned for his religious paintings and frescoes, many of which can still be found in churches across southern Germany.

Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Scaff, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1819 to 1893. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant movement and authored several influential works on theology and philosophy.

In the realm of literature, the name Scaff is associated with the German writer and poet, Wilhelm Scaff, who lived from 1872 to 1945. He is best known for his lyrical poetry, which often explored themes of nature and the human condition.

The surname Scaff can also be found in historical records from other European countries, such as France and the Netherlands, suggesting that the name may have spread beyond the borders of Germany over time.

Throughout its history, the surname Scaff has been spelled in various ways, including Schaff, Schäff, and Schaeff. These variations are likely due to regional dialects and linguistic changes over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Scaff

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

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

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

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