2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Scarafile
An occupational surname referring to one who transcribed documents or books for a living.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Scarafile. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scarafile 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Scarafile in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scarafile, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scarafile
The surname Scarafile is of Italian origin, originating from the southern regions of Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Italian word "scarafaggio," which means "cockroach" or "beetle." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who had an association with these insects, perhaps as a nickname or a reference to their occupation.
The earliest known record of the surname Scarafile dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in several historical documents from the city of Naples. One notable mention is found in the "Codice Diplomatico Normanno," a collection of Norman-era charters and records, where a certain "Iohannes Scarafile" is listed as a landowner in the year 1267.
In the 14th century, the name Scarafile is mentioned in the "Registri della Cancelleria Angioina," a series of administrative records from the Angevin dynasty that ruled over the Kingdom of Naples. This document references a "Petrus Scarafile," who was a merchant and trader in the city of Salerno around 1345.
During the Renaissance period, the Scarafile family gained prominence in the city of Naples, with several members holding influential positions within the local government and clergy. One notable figure was Gian Battista Scarafile (1490-1558), who served as a magistrate and judge in the Neapolitan court under the Spanish rule.
Another historical figure bearing this surname was Tommaso Scarafile (1615-1688), a renowned philosopher and theologian from the town of Caserta. He authored several scholarly works, including "De Veritate Philosophica" and "Tractatus de Anima," which were widely studied in academic circles of the time.
In the 18th century, the Scarafile family established itself in the region of Calabria, where they owned several estates and vineyards. One of the most prominent members of this branch was Vincenzo Scarafile (1725-1798), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who founded a charitable organization that provided assistance to the poor and underprivileged in the city of Reggio Calabria.
As the centuries passed, the Scarafile name continued to be found throughout various parts of southern Italy, with several individuals achieving notable accomplishments in various fields, such as law, academia, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scarafile
Among Census respondents with the surname Scarafile, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Scarafile 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 Scarafile surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 111
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scarafile
Scarafile 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-5 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,971 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 12,971 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Scarafile 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 | #140,157 | #145,757 | -4.0% |
| Count | 119 | 115 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scarafile bearers went from 119 to 115 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #145,757.
FAQ
Scarafile surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scarafile?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Scarafile. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Scarafile?
Scarafile ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Scarafile. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Scarafile.
Has Scarafile become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scarafile went from 119 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Scarafile?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scarafile, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Scarafile in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scarafile appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Black (1.7%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Scarafile (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 Scarafile mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who transcribed documents or books for a living. 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 Scarafile (0.04 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 share the surname Scarafile?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.