Explore the Family Name Lafitte
The meaning of Lafitte
French: topographic name for someone who lived near a boundary mark, Old French fitte (from Late Latin fixta petra ‘fixed stone’, from the past participle of figere ‘to fix or fasten’); or a habitational name from any of several places in the south of France named Lafitte (or Laffitte; compare Laffitte). History: This surname is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors. Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Benoit, Henri, Jacques, Pierre, Pierrette.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lafitte in the United States?
According to data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Lafitte has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Lafitte was ranked as the 31,271st most common surname in the United States with 701 individuals bearing it. However, by 2010, it had slipped to the 33,990th position with only 669 individuals carrying the name, marking a decline of 8.69% in its rank and a 4.56% drop in count. This data also shows that the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 decreased by 11.54%, from 0.26 in 2000 to 0.23 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #31,271 | #33,990 | -8.69% |
| Count | 701 | 669 | -4.56% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.26 | 0.23 | -11.54% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lafitte
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Lafitte, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some shifts over the period from 2000 to 2010. The vast majority of individuals with the surname identify as white, although this percentage slightly decreased from 77.75% in 2000 to 75.78% in 2010. There was an increase of 18.31% in those identifying as Black, rising from 13.27% in 2000 to 15.70% in 2010. Notably, there was a significant increase in those identifying as having two or more ethnicities, with a growth of 53.51%. On the other hand, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native were no longer represented in 2010, while the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic decreased by 16.70%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.75% | 75.78% | -2.53% |
| Black | 13.27% | 15.7% | 18.31% |
| Hispanic | 4.85% | 4.04% | -16.7% |
| Two or More Races | 1.85% | 2.84% | 53.51% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.71% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.57% | 0% | 0% |