2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Warfa
A surname possibly of Somali origin meaning "spear" or "lance".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Warfa. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Warfa 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Warfa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Warfa, the largest self-reported group is Black at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Warfa
The surname WARFA is believed to have originated in the Horn of Africa, specifically in the Somali region. It is likely derived from the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family.
While the exact etymology of WARFA is unclear, it may be related to words or place names in the Somali language that have similar spellings or pronunciations. Some linguists have suggested that it could be linked to the Somali word "warfa," which means "to be born" or "to give birth."
Historical records and manuscripts that mention the surname WARFA are scarce, as written records from this region can be limited. However, it is possible that the name appeared in oral traditions, genealogies, or local documents that have not been widely preserved or studied.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname WARFA was Ali Warfa, a Somali poet and scholar who lived in the 18th century. He was known for his contributions to the Somali literary tradition and his works on Islamic theology.
Another notable figure was Haji Warfa, a prominent Somali religious leader and scholar who lived in the 19th century. He played a significant role in the spread of Islam and the promotion of Islamic education in the region.
In the 20th century, Mohamed Warfa was a Somali politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Somalia from 1969 to 1970. He was born in 1920 and played a pivotal role in the country's post-independence governance.
Hassan Warfa, born in 1943, was a Somali writer and educator known for his contributions to Somali literature and his efforts in promoting Somali language and culture. He wrote several books and worked as a professor at various universities.
Lastly, Abdulkadir Warfa, born in 1952, is a Somali-American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Warfa companies, a group of successful businesses operating in various sectors, and has been actively involved in charitable initiatives in Somalia and the United States.
It's worth noting that the surname WARFA may have evolved or been spelled differently in different regions or time periods, reflecting local dialects, naming conventions, or transcription practices. Additionally, the name may have been associated with specific clans, lineages, or geographic areas within the Somali region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Warfa
Among Census respondents with the surname Warfa, the largest self-reported group is Black at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Warfa 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 Warfa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American100.0% · 114
Timeline
Historical Census data for Warfa
Warfa 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
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+12 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,937 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 11,937 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 Warfa 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 | #158,432 | #146,495 | 7.5% |
| Count | 102 | 114 | 11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Warfa bearers went from 102 to 114 (+11.8% change). The surname moved up 11,937 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #146,495.
FAQ
Warfa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Warfa?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Warfa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Warfa?
Warfa ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Warfa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Warfa.
Has Warfa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Warfa went from 102 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 12 (+11.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Warfa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Warfa, the largest self-reported group is Black at 100.0%. 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Warfa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Warfa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (100.0%). 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 Warfa (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 Warfa mean?
A surname possibly of Somali origin meaning "spear" or "lance". 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 Warfa (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 last name Warfa?
Find out how many people have the last name Warfa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.