2000
#23,191
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,027
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Zafar
A Persian surname meaning "victor" or "conqueror".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,993 Americans carry the last name Zafar. That puts it at #11,529 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,519 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zafar 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Zafar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 114,519
Census rank
#11,529
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,610 bearers of the surname Zafar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11529th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zafar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zafar
The surname Zafar has its origins in the Persian-speaking regions of the Middle East and Central Asia, particularly in areas such as Iran and Afghanistan. The name first appeared around the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th century. From these regions, the name spread to the Indian subcontinent, especially during the Mughal era, where Persian cultural influence was strong.
Zafar is derived from the Persian word "ظفر," which means "victory" or "triumph." This word itself has a rich history, being used in various cultural and literary contexts. Variations in spelling, such as Zafar and Zaffar, may be observed due to transliteration differences.
One of the earliest historical references to the surname Zafar can be found in the records of the Mughal Empire. For instance, Zafar Khan was a prominent noble in the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar during the late 16th century. He played an influential role in various military and administrative capacities, illustrating the name's association with leadership and success.
Another significant figure is Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor of India, who was born in 1775 and died in 1862. His reign marked the end of the Mughal Empire, and he is remembered not only for his political significance but also for his contributions to Urdu poetry.
In more academic circles, Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, born in 1952, emerged as a prominent Bangladeshi physicist and writer. His works in literature and science have made substantial contributions to both fields, reflecting the name's association with intellectual achievement.
Moving back in history, Zafar Ali Khan (1873-1956) was a notable figure in the Pakistan Movement. He was a journalist, poet, and politician who actively participated in the struggle for the independence of Pakistan from British rule.
An older reference comes from the Persian epic Shahnameh, written by the poet Ferdowsi around 1000 AD, where several characters bearing the title Zafar as a part of their names symbolize their heroic and triumphant nature.
The surname Zafar continues to evoke a sense of victory and success through its deep historical roots and significant figures who have carried the name through centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zafar
Among Census respondents with the surname Zafar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Zafar 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 Zafar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.7% · 2,262
- White6.0% · 157
- Two or more races5.2% · 135
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 36
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zafar
Zafar appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,859
+832 bearers (+81.0%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 7,499 places
2020
#11,529
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,610
+751 bearers (+40.4%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 4,163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,191 | 1,027 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,692 | 1,859 | 0.63 | +832 bearers (+81.0%) | Up 7,499 places |
| 2020 | #11,529 | 2,610 | 0.87 | +751 bearers (+40.4%) | Up 4,163 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 Zafar 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 | #15,692 | #11,529 | 26.5% |
| Count | 1,859 | 2,610 | 40.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.87 | 38.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zafar bearers went from 1,859 to 2,610 (+40.4% change). The surname moved up 4,163 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,692 to #11,529.
FAQ
Zafar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zafar?
Name Census estimates that about 2,993 living Americans carry the surname Zafar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,519 residents.
How common is Zafar?
Zafar ranks #11,529 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,610 people with the surname Zafar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,993), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Zafar.
Has Zafar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zafar went from 1,859 recorded bearers to 2,610. That is an increase of 751 (+40.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,692 to #11,529.
What does the Census say about the background of Zafar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zafar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Zafar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (2,262 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zafar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.7%), White (6.0%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Zafar (2000, 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 Zafar mean?
A Persian surname meaning "victor" or "conqueror". 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 Zafar (0.87 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 share the surname Zafar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.