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

Yoffe, 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 Yoffe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yoffe in America

Yoffe is the 58876th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yoffe surname appeared 344 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 Yoffe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yoffe 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 Yoffe

The surname Yoffe has its origins rooted in Eastern Europe, particularly within the Jewish communities of Lithuania, Russia, and Poland. The name is derived from the Yiddish word "yofe," which originates from the Hebrew word "yafah" meaning "beautiful." The use of this surname likely began in the 17th or 18th century when Jewish families in Eastern Europe started adopting fixed surnames, primarily for tax and administrative purposes.

Old records indicate the use of the surname Yoffe in various Jewish communities. Historical references show the name appearing in Russian Empire census records of the 19th century. Detailed records such as the All-Russian Census of 1897 include various individuals with this surname living in areas like Vilnius and Minsk, supporting its prevalence in Lithuania and Belarus.

One noteworthy individual was Dr. Solomon Yoffe, born in 1817, a prominent physician in Vilnius who significantly contributed to medical science in the region. His works and influence in the Vilnius Medical Society highlight the importance of the Yoffe family in academic and professional circles during the 19th century.

Another significant figure is the physicist Abraham Yoffe (1891-1976), whose research in the field of materials science and solid-state physics garnered international recognition. Born in what is now modern-day Latvia, Abraham's contributions to the Soviet scientific community during the 20th century are well-documented.

Moving further back, the rabbinical scholar Rabbi Shlomo Yoffe, who lived in the late 18th century, was known for his intellectual contributions to Jewish religious scholarship in Poland. Rabbi Shlomo's sermons and writings continue to be referenced in traditional Jewish studies.

In more recent history, Janet Yoffe, born in 1968, became a noted figure in the field of psychology and social work, particularly recognized for her work with adoptive families and children.

Lastly, the historian Eliezer Yoffe (1923-2004), originally from Israel, had a significant impact on the documentation and analysis of Jewish history and culture, through his extensive research and numerous published works.

The surname Yoffe thus carries a rich historical background, marked by contributions to a variety of fields, embodying the cultural and intellectual heritage of the Jewish diaspora in Eastern Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yoffe

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

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

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

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