2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zafran
A surname derived from the Persian word for saffron or turmeric.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Zafran. That puts it at #142,108 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zafran 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.
Zafran appeared in the 2010 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#142,108
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Zafran in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142108th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zafran, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zafran
The surname Zafran has its origins in the Middle East, particularly within Persian, Arabic, and Sephardic Jewish communities. The name is derived from the Arabic word "za'farān," which means saffron, a spice derived from the Crocus sativus flower. The cultivation of saffron has been historically significant in regions such as Iran (formerly Persia), and the surname likely originated in areas where saffron was a valuable commodity.
The earliest records of the surname Zafran appear in medieval Persian manuscripts and trade documents, dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries. These early references often involved merchants and traders who dealt in saffron, emphasizing the economic importance of the spice in that era. The name gradually spread across the Middle East and into Mediterranean regions as these traders moved along established spice routes.
A notable historical figure with the surname Zafran is Farid Zafran, a 12th-century Persian merchant known for his extensive trade networks throughout Persia and the Levant. His meticulous records, preserved in several ancient documents, provide valuable insights into the commerce and trade practices of the time. Another significant individual is Miriam Zafran, a 14th-century Sephardic Jewish scholar, whose works contributed greatly to the academic and cultural life of medieval Spain before the expulsion of Jews in 1492.
In the 15th century, the surname appears in Ottoman tax records, indicating that individuals bearing the name Zafran were present in territories under Ottoman control. One such individual, Selim Zafran, born in 1465 in what is modern-day Turkey, served as an advisor to the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II, and his contributions to Ottoman administrative reforms have been well documented.
By the 18th century, the surname Zafran had also appeared in records from the Balkan regions, part of the expanding Ottoman Empire. Salomon Zafran, born in 1763 in Sarajevo, Bosnia, is a notable figure from this time. His efforts in promoting education and commerce within the Jewish community of Sarajevo left a lasting legacy, and several historical accounts from that period reference his contributions.
In more recent centuries, the surname has been recorded in various European countries due to migration and diaspora. For instance, Elias Zafran, a 19th-century Sephardic Jew born in Greece in 1821, became an influential figure in the textile industry in Italy. His entrepreneurial spirit and success in business are remembered in numerous historical accounts.
The name Zafran, linked etymologically to the prized spice saffron, carries a rich legacy that traces back to medieval trade routes, notable historical figures, and cross-cultural interactions. Its journey through centuries and across continents truly reflects the interconnected nature of human history and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zafran
Among Census respondents with the surname Zafran, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%.
The bar chart below shows how Zafran bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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 Zafran surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6%
- Unknown or suppressed9.4%
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zafran
Zafran appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,311 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 13,311 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
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Zafran surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20002010
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #128,797 | #142,108 | -10.3% |
| Count | 122 | 117 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Zafran bearers went from 122 to 117 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 13,311 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,797 to #142,108.
FAQ
Zafran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zafran?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Zafran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Zafran?
Zafran ranks #142,108 in the 2010 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 2010 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Zafran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), 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 Zafran.
Has Zafran become more or less common over time?
Between 2000 and 2010, the surname Zafran went from 122 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,797 to #142,108.
What does the Census say about the background of Zafran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zafran, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Zafran in the 2010 Census, accounting for 90.6%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zafran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2010 file are White (90.6%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Zafran appears here with 2010 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Zafran mean?
A surname derived from the Persian word for saffron or turmeric. 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 2010 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 Zafran (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 share the surname Zafran?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.