Explore the Family Name Rafanan

The meaning of Rafanan

Filipino: probably derived from Ilokano rapang, a term denoting ‘branches of ginger root’ and ‘variety of banana with fruits that stick together’, and also used to refer to someone having fingers or toes grown together.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Rafanan in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rafanan has increased over time. In the year 2000, Rafanan ranked 40,987 and by 2010 it rose to 35,812, indicating a rise in popularity of 12.63%. The count of individuals with this surname also increased from 502 in 2000 to 627 in 2010, reflecting a growth rate of 24.9%. The proportion of individuals per 100k with this surname also saw a moderate increase from 0.19 in 2000 to 0.21 in 2010, marking a 10.53% change.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#40,987	#35,812	12.63%
Count	502	627	24.9%
Proportion per 100k	0.19	0.21	10.53%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rafanan

Discussing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Rafanan, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. This group consisted of 69.92% of those with the surname in 2000 and this figure rose slightly to 71.29% by 2010. Those identifying with two or more races made up the second largest group with 9.56% in 2000 and slowly increasing to 9.73% in 2010. Individuals identifying as White comprised 9.76% in 2000, decreasing slightly to 9.57% by 2010. The Hispanic population holding the Rafanan surname decreased from 9.16% to 8.61% between 2000 and 2010. No individuals identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

	2000	2010	Change
Asian/Pacific Islander	69.92%	71.29%	1.96%
Two or More Races	9.56%	9.73%	1.78%
White	9.76%	9.57%	-1.95%
Hispanic	9.16%	8.61%	-6%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%