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

Tuifua, 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 Tuifua surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tuifua in America

Tuifua is the 81772nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tuifua surname appeared 231 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 Tuifua.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tuifua 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 Tuifua

The surname TUIFUA has its origins in the Polynesian islands of the South Pacific, specifically in the Samoan archipelago. It is believed to have emerged during the late 18th century and early 19th century, when European explorers and missionaries first made contact with the islands and began recording local names and traditions.

The name TUIFUA is derived from the Samoan language, where "tui" means "king" or "chief," and "fua" means "fruit" or "offspring." Thus, the name can be interpreted as "chief of the offspring" or "royal descendant." This suggests that the name may have been borne by individuals of high rank or chiefly lineage within Samoan society.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TUIFUA can be found in the writings of John Williams, a missionary who visited Samoa in the 1830s. In his journals, Williams mentions a Samoan chief named Tuifua, suggesting that the name was already in use by that time.

Throughout the 19th century, as Western influence in Samoa grew, the name TUIFUA began to appear in various colonial records and documents. For example, a Samoan man named Tuifua Aiona was listed as a signatory to the Samoan Deed of Cession in 1900, which formally established the island group as a territory of Germany.

Historically, the TUIFUA surname has been associated with several notable figures from Samoa and the broader Polynesian region. One such individual was Tuifua Toliu (1870-1945), a prominent Samoan politician and orator who played a significant role in the Mau movement for Samoan independence in the early 20th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was Tuifua Samoa (1885-1961), a Samoan artist and woodcarver who was celebrated for his intricate and traditional works, many of which are now housed in museums and galleries around the world.

In more recent times, the TUIFUA surname has been carried by individuals such as Tuifua Tafa'i (1936-2014), a Samoan writer and academic who made significant contributions to the study and preservation of Samoan language and culture.

Throughout its history, the TUIFUA surname has maintained a strong connection to its Polynesian roots and the rich cultural heritage of the Samoan islands. It continues to be a prominent name in Samoa and among the Samoan diaspora communities worldwide.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tuifua

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!