Explore the Family Name Okafor
The meaning of Okafor
West African (Nigeria): from the Igbo personal name Okafor meaning ‘man born on Afor day’. Afor is the name of one of the four (market) days of the Igbo four-day week. Some characteristic forenames: African Osita, Emeka, Ndubuisi.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Okafor in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Okafor has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname moved from being the 21,254th most common in 2000 to the 15,194th in 2010, marking a positive change of 28.51%. In terms of absolute numbers, the count of individuals bearing the surname Okafor increased from 1,150 in 2000 to 1,939 in 2010, which is a substantial increase of 68.61%. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 also saw an upward shift from 0.43 to 0.66, indicating a growth of 53.49%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,254 | #15,194 | 28.51% |
| Count | 1,150 | 1,939 | 68.61% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.43 | 0.66 | 53.49% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Okafor
Relating to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that majority of the individuals with the surname Okafor identified as Black, accounting for 94.78% in 2000 and increasing slightly to 96.60% in 2010. There were no recorded instances of the surname among Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities in both years. The percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races decreased substantially from 3.22% to 1.24%, while the proportion of White individuals with the Okafor surname dropped minimally from 1.39% to 1.24%. Interestingly, there was a new emergence of the Okafor surname within the Hispanic community in 2010, which was not present in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 94.78% | 96.6% | 1.92% |
| Two or More Races | 3.22% | 1.24% | -61.49% |
| White | 1.39% | 1.24% | -10.79% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0.77% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |