2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Serfas
A French surname derived from a place name referring to someone from the Serfaus region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Serfas. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Serfas 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Serfas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Serfas, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Serfas
The surname Serfas is believed to have originated in Germany, with records indicating its presence as early as the 16th century. It is likely derived from the German word "Serf," which referred to a peasant or a person in servitude. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, given to someone who worked as a serf or held a similar occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Serfas can be found in the town of Koblenz, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. In the 1600s, a family by the name of Serfas is mentioned in local documents, indicating their presence in the area during that time period.
The name Serfas has also been found in various historical records from other parts of Germany, such as the state of Saxony. In the 18th century, a prominent individual named Johann Serfas (1720-1793) was a respected scholar and theologian, known for his contributions to the field of religious studies.
Another notable bearer of the Serfas name was Wilhelm Serfas (1878-1945), a German military officer who served during World War I and World War II. He was awarded the Iron Cross, a prestigious military decoration, for his service and bravery.
In the 19th century, the Serfas family also had a presence in the city of Berlin. Records show that a merchant named Friedrich Serfas (1810-1885) established a successful trading company in the capital city, dealing in various goods and commodities.
Beyond Germany, the name Serfas has also been found in other European countries, such as Austria and Switzerland. However, its origins and earliest recorded instances are firmly rooted in the German regions, particularly in the western and central parts of the country.
It is worth noting that the spelling of the name may have varied slightly over time, with variations like "Serfass" or "Serfuss" appearing in some historical documents. However, the core form of "Serfas" has remained consistent and is widely recognized as the primary spelling of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Serfas
Among Census respondents with the surname Serfas, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Serfas 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 Serfas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Serfas
Serfas 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,091 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+12 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,637 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 17,091 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 10,637 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 Serfas 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 | #154,907 | #144,270 | 6.9% |
| Count | 105 | 117 | 11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Serfas bearers went from 105 to 117 (+11.4% change). The surname moved up 10,637 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #144,270.
FAQ
Serfas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Serfas?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Serfas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Serfas?
Serfas ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Serfas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Serfas.
Has Serfas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Serfas went from 105 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 12 (+11.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Serfas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Serfas, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Serfas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Serfas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (3.4%), Black (1.7%). 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 Serfas (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 Serfas mean?
A French surname derived from a place name referring to someone from the Serfaus region. 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 Serfas (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 have the surname Serfas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.