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

Tesfa, 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 Tesfa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tesfa in America

Tesfa is the 83834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tesfa surname appeared 224 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 Tesfa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tesfa 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 Tesfa

The surname TESFA has its roots in Ethiopia, originating from the Amharic language spoken in the country. The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, when the Solomonic dynasty ruled over the Ethiopian Empire.

TESFA is derived from the Amharic word "ተስፋ" (tɘsfa), which translates to "hope" or "expectation." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who were seen as a source of hope or aspiration within their communities.

In ancient Ethiopian manuscripts, such as the Kebra Nagast (a 14th-century account of the Queen of Sheba and her supposed son with King Solomon), references to individuals bearing the name TESFA can be found. One notable figure from this era was Tesfa Mikhael, a prominent cleric and scholar who lived in the late 15th century and authored several religious texts.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as the Ethiopian Empire expanded and interacted with neighboring regions, the name TESFA began to spread beyond its initial geographic boundaries. Records from this period mention individuals with the surname TESFA in areas such as present-day Eritrea and Djibouti.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TESFA can be traced back to the 17th century, when Tesfa Yohannes, a nobleman and military leader, played a significant role in defending the Ethiopian Empire against foreign invasions.

In the 19th century, several notable figures bore the surname TESFA, including Tesfa Melash (1817-1878), a renowned Ethiopian poet and playwright, and Tesfa Andargachew (1868-1942), a respected political figure who served as a governor in various regions of the country.

Other historical figures with the surname TESFA include Tesfa Gebremariam (1909-1969), a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights, and Tesfa Desta (1924-2005), a celebrated novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of social justice and cultural identity.

While the surname TESFA has its origins in Ethiopia, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through diaspora communities. However, its historical significance and association with hope and aspiration remain deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic heritage of Ethiopia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tesfa

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

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

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

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