2000
#7,340
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,181
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Serafin
Derived from the Hebrew word "seraphim," referring to the highest-ranking celestial beings or angels in Abrahamic religions.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,909 Americans carry the last name Serafin. That puts it at #7,499 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Serafin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Serafin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,822
Census rank
#7,499
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,281 bearers of the surname Serafin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7499th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Serafin, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Serafin
The surname SERAFIN is of Polish origin, derived from the Hebrew name "Seraphim" which means "burning ones" or "fiery ones." It is believed to have originated in the 13th century within the boundaries of the Kingdom of Poland.
This surname can be traced back to the medieval era, with some of the earliest recorded instances appearing in various church records and tax registers from regions such as Krakow, Poznan, and Lublin. It is believed that the name was initially adopted by individuals with a strong religious affiliation or those who worked closely with the church.
In the 15th century, the SERAFIN surname is mentioned in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of court records from the Krakow region. This suggests that by this time, the name had become more widespread and established within Polish society.
During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Jan SERAFIN (1510-1585), a Polish poet and translator who was known for his contributions to the development of the Polish literary language.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Marcin SERAFIN (1595-1668), a Polish architect and military engineer who designed fortifications and defensive structures throughout the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
In the 18th century, Józef SERAFIN (1720-1793) was a Polish painter and engraver who gained recognition for his religious works and portraits.
The SERAFIN surname also appeared in the Teki Dworzaczka, a compilation of historical documents from the 19th century, which further solidifies its longstanding presence in Polish history.
Throughout the centuries, variations of the spelling have emerged, such as SERAFYN, SERAPHIN, and SERAPHIM, but the core meaning and origin have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Serafin
Among Census respondents with the surname Serafin, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Serafin 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 Serafin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.0% · 2,525
- Hispanic or Latino35.3% · 1,510
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 104
- Two or more races1.4% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 52
- Black or African American0.7% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Serafin
Serafin 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
#7,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,641
+460 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Up 140 places
2020
#7,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,281
-360 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 299 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,340 | 4,181 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,200 | 4,641 | 1.57 | +460 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 140 places |
| 2020 | #7,499 | 4,281 | 1.43 | -360 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 299 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 Serafin 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 | #7,200 | #7,499 | -4.2% |
| Count | 4,641 | 4,281 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.57 | 1.43 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Serafin bearers went from 4,641 to 4,281 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 299 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,200 to #7,499.
FAQ
Serafin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Serafin?
Name Census estimates that about 4,909 living Americans carry the surname Serafin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,822 residents.
How common is Serafin?
Serafin ranks #7,499 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,281 people with the surname Serafin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,909), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Serafin.
Has Serafin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Serafin went from 4,641 recorded bearers to 4,281. That is a decrease of 360 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,200 to #7,499.
What does the Census say about the background of Serafin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Serafin, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Serafin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.0% (2,525 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Serafin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.0%), Hispanic (35.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Serafin (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 Serafin mean?
Derived from the Hebrew word "seraphim," referring to the highest-ranking celestial beings or angels in Abrahamic religions. 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 Serafin (1.43 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 Serafin?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.