2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Tifa
A Scandinavian surname possibly derived from the Old Norse word "teitr" meaning "cheerful" or "joyful."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Tifa. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tifa 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Tifa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tifa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tifa
The surname TIFA has its origins in Italy, with records dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Italian word "tifa," meaning "wind" or "breeze," suggesting a connection to a person's place of residence or occupation.
The earliest known record of the name TIFA can be found in the Codice Diplomatico della Sardegna, a collection of medieval documents from the island of Sardinia, where a certain "Guglielmo Tifa" is mentioned in a document dated 1348.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the records of the Venetian Republic, indicating its presence in the northern regions of Italy. One notable mention is that of "Giovanni Tifa," a merchant from Venice who traded with the Ottoman Empire in the late 1400s.
The name TIFA also has connections to the historic city of Florence, where it is believed to have originated as a surname for families living in the area. In the 16th century, a prominent Florentine family bearing the name Tifa is recorded in the city's archives.
Throughout the centuries, several individuals with the surname TIFA have left their mark in various fields. One such notable figure is Girolamo Tifa (1532-1602), an Italian jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor at the University of Padua.
Another notable bearer of the name was Vincenzo Tifa (1675-1742), an Italian painter and architect who was active in Naples during the Baroque period. His works can be found in several churches and palaces throughout the city.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Tifa (1810-1876), an Italian politician and lawyer, served as a member of the Sardinian Parliament and played a role in the unification of Italy.
The name TIFA also has connections to the world of literature, with Luigi Tifa (1856-1922), an Italian novelist and playwright, being known for his works exploring themes of social criticism and realism.
Another notable figure was Emilio Tifa (1887-1965), an Italian engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of aviation technology, working on aircraft designs for several Italian companies in the early 20th century.
These examples showcase the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing the surname TIFA throughout history, reflecting its Italian origins and its presence across various regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tifa
Among Census respondents with the surname Tifa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tifa 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 Tifa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino97.2% · 106
- White2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tifa
Tifa appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,029 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Up 7,029 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 Tifa 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 | #157,234 | #150,205 | 4.5% |
| Count | 103 | 109 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tifa bearers went from 103 to 109 (+5.8% change). The surname moved up 7,029 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #150,205.
FAQ
Tifa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tifa?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Tifa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Tifa?
Tifa ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Tifa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Tifa.
Has Tifa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tifa went from 103 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 6 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Tifa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tifa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tifa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tifa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (97.2%), White (2.8%). 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 Tifa (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 Tifa mean?
A Scandinavian surname possibly derived from the Old Norse word "teitr" meaning "cheerful" or "joyful." 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 Tifa (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 Tifa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.