Taufa last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Taufa

A Samoan surname meaning "respected" or "honored."

Taufa, 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 Taufa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Taufa in America

Taufa is the 48436th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Taufa surname appeared 436 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 Taufa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Taufa 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 48436 66878 -31.99%
Count 436 276 44.94%
Proportion per 100k 0.15 0.10 40.00%

The history of the last name Taufa

The surname "TAUFA" is of Samoan origin, tracing its roots back to the Pacific island nation of Samoa. It emerged in the late 18th century or early 19th century, during a period when written records were becoming more prevalent in the region.

This surname is believed to be derived from the Samoan word "taufa," which means "orator" or "skilled speaker." In traditional Samoan society, oratory was highly valued, and those with exceptional speaking abilities often held esteemed positions within their communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "TAUFA" can be found in the writings of Christian missionaries who arrived in Samoa in the early 19th century. These missionaries often documented the names and genealogies of prominent Samoan families and individuals.

While no specific historical figures bearing the name "TAUFA" have been widely documented, it is likely that the surname was initially associated with individuals who excelled in public speaking, diplomacy, or traditional Samoan oratory.

Several notable individuals with the surname "TAUFA" have emerged in more recent times. For instance, Samuelu Taufa (1906-1987) was a prominent Samoan politician and member of the Legislative Assembly. Additionally, Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Taufa (born 1945) has served as the Prime Minister of Samoa since 1998, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in the Pacific region.

Other individuals with the surname "TAUFA" include Lemia Taufa (born 1974), a former Samoan rugby union player, and Leiataua Taufa (born 1983), a Samoan-American professional wrestler known by the ring name Samoa Joe.

While the surname "TAUFA" has its origins in Samoa, it has also been adopted by individuals of Samoan descent living in other parts of the world, particularly in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Taufa

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

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 Taufa was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 4.36% 19
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 83.03% 362
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 7.34% 32
Hispanic Origin 3.90% 17

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 Taufa has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 4.36% 7.25% -49.78%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 83.03% 81.52% 1.84%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races 7.34% 8.70% -16.96%
Hispanic 3.90% 2.54% 42.24%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Taufa last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/taufa-surname-popularity/.

"Taufa last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/taufa-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Taufa last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/taufa-surname-popularity/.

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