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

Teferi, 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 Teferi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Teferi in America

Teferi is the 57639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Teferi surname appeared 353 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 Teferi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Teferi 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 Teferi

The surname TEFERI has its origins in Ethiopia, dating back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Amharic words "tef" meaning "lost" and "eri" meaning "my country." This name was initially associated with individuals who had left their homeland, either voluntarily or due to circumstances beyond their control.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the TEFERI name can be found in the Kebra Nagast, a 14th-century literary work that chronicles the lineage of the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia. The text references a nobleman named Teferi who served under Emperor Amda Seyon I, who ruled from 1314 to 1344.

During the 15th century, the TEFERI name gained prominence in the northern regions of Ethiopia, particularly in the provinces of Tigray and Amhara. Historical records from this period indicate that several individuals bearing this surname held influential positions within the imperial court and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

In the late 19th century, a notable figure named Teferi Mekonen (1882-1975) rose to prominence. He was a member of the Shewan royal family and served as the Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia from 1916 to 1930, during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie I. Teferi Mekonen later ascended to the throne as Emperor Haile Selassie I and ruled until his overthrow in 1974.

Another prominent individual with the TEFERI surname was Bitwaddad Teferi Mekuria (1873-1944), a renowned Ethiopian poet and playwright. His works, such as "Fetha Negast" and "Wazema," were instrumental in shaping the literary landscape of the time and are still widely studied and appreciated today.

In the 20th century, Teferi Gebre-Medhin (1912-1998) gained recognition as an influential Ethiopian diplomat and politician. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1960 to 1971 and played a crucial role in strengthening Ethiopia's international relations during that period.

Additionally, Teferi Beyene (1936-2020) was a renowned Ethiopian linguist and scholar. He made significant contributions to the study of Semitic languages, particularly Amharic and Ge'ez, and authored numerous publications on these topics.

The TEFERI surname continues to be prevalent in Ethiopia, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Teferi

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

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

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

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