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

Waff, 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 Waff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waff in America

Waff is the 108199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waff surname appeared 164 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 Waff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waff 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 Waff

The surname WAFF is believed to have originated in England, likely emerging during the late medieval period or the early modern era. Its roots can be traced back to the Old English word "wæfre," which meant "wavering" or "restless," suggesting that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with a restless or unsettled demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name WAFF can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327, where a certain John Wafre is mentioned. This suggests that the surname had already established itself in the region by the 14th century, with variations in spelling such as Wafre or Wafer being common at the time.

The WAFF surname has also been associated with certain place names in England, particularly the village of Waff in Northamptonshire. It is possible that some individuals may have adopted the surname as a locative name, indicating their origins from this particular area.

Notable historical figures bearing the WAFF surname include William Waff, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century, who served as the Lord Mayor in 1548. Another prominent individual was Sir Christopher Waff (1555-1629), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 17th century.

In the realm of literature, the name WAFF appears in several works, such as in the writings of the 17th-century English poet and clergyman, Thomas Carew, who mentioned a certain "Master Waff" in one of his poems.

During the 18th century, the WAFF surname gained further recognition with individuals like John Waff (1720-1798), a renowned English architect known for his work on various country estates and public buildings in the Midlands region.

Another noteworthy figure was Sarah Waff (1792-1867), a pioneering educator and philanthropist who established several schools for underprivileged children in London during the early 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waff

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

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

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

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