Explore the Family Name Geffen
The meaning of Geffen
1. Jewish (Israeli): artificial name from Hebrew gefen ‘vine’, a Hebraicization usually of the various Ashkenazic surnames from German Wein. 2. North German: from an ancient Germanic personal name formed with geba ‘gift’, for example Gebhardt. 3. English: from the Middle English personal name Geff, a pet form of Geoffrey (see Jeffrey), with the characteristically West Midland genitival suffix -en. 4. Dutch (Van Geffen): habitational name from the village Geffen in the province of North Brabant. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Haim, Moshe, Zev.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Geffen in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Geffen holds a unique place in the United States. Over the ten year period from 2000 to 2010, the popularity of the Geffen surname slightly declined. In 2000, it ranked 60,083 in terms of prevalence, but by 2010, its rank had slipped to 64,388, marking a decrease of 7.17%. The actual count of individuals with this surname also fell marginally from 314 to 309, a drop of 1.59%. Furthermore, the proportion of individuals named Geffen per 100,000 people dropped by 16.67% over this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #60,083 | #64,388 | -7.17% |
| Count | 314 | 309 | -1.59% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.1 | -16.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Geffen
As for ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data revealed important shifts between 2000 and 2010. White individuals carrying the Geffen surname experienced a slight decrease from 97.45% to 94.50%, a change of -3.03%. Interestingly, the surname appeared among Hispanic populations in 2010, which was not the case in the previous census, recording a percentage of 4.21%. However, there were no changes in the other ethnic identities such as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native; these categories maintained a constant 0% for both years under review.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.45% | 94.5% | -3.03% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 4.21% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |