Explore the Family Name Naff
The meaning of Naff
South German and Swiss German (also Näff): variant of Neff ‘nephew’. History: By 1776, several families named Näff or Naff had come to PA from Germany. Brothers Jacob and Rudolph Naff arrived in Philadelphia, PA, on September 11, 1749, on the Priscilla and settled at Germantown, PA. Sebastian Naff came from the Swiss-German border. He was followed by his brother, Jacob, who arrived in Philadelphia, PA, on the Dragon on September 26, 1749. In 1782 Jacob settled in Franklin County, VA, and was joined there in 1793 by Sebastian. Descendants who moved to the Midwest before the Civil War changed their name to Neff; those who remained in VA or moved to TN retained the form Naff.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Naff in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Naff' has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 24,993 in popularity with 933 individuals carrying this last name. By 2010, however, the rank had dropped to 26,492, with a slight decrease in count to 921 individuals. This represents a 6% drop in rank and a 1.29% drop in the count. The proportion of 'Naff' per 100,000 people also decreased by 11.43%, from 0.35 in 2000 to 0.31 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,993 | #26,492 | -6% |
| Count | 933 | 921 | -1.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.35 | 0.31 | -11.43% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Naff
In terms of ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of individuals with the surname 'Naff' identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, even though there was a minor decrease of 1.75% over the decade. The second most common ethnic identity associated with the 'Naff' surname was Black, which saw a slight increase of 6.43% over the ten years. Interestingly, the Hispanic population within this surname group experienced a significant growth of 67.03%, although they still represent a small portion of the total. Individuals identifying with two or more races also increased by 33.33%. The census data did not record any persons with Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity among those with the 'Naff' surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.07% | 87.51% | -1.75% |
| Black | 6.22% | 6.62% | 6.43% |
| Hispanic | 1.82% | 3.04% | 67.03% |
| Two or More Races | 1.71% | 2.28% | 33.33% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |