Explore the Family Name Safar

The meaning of Safar

1. Arabic and Jewish (from North Africa): occupational name from Arabic ṣaffār ‘coppersmith, worker in copper or brass’. 2. Arabic: from the personal name Ṣafar, from ṣafar, the name of the second month of the Islamic calendar. This is sometimes chosen as a personal name for children born in this month. Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians. 3. Muslim (Iran): from the Arabic personal name Ṣafar (see 2 above) and probably also from the personal name Safar, from Persian (ultimately Arabic) safar ‘journey, travel’. 4. Czech (Šafář); Slovak (Šafár); Croatian and Slovenian (Šafar); Hungarian (Sáfár): status name from local forms of German Schaffer ‘steward, bailiff’. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Fahim, Ammar, Mazin, Safar, Abdallah, Abdulrahman, Antoun, Fadel, Faisal, Farid, Fereydoun, Haitham. French Gaston, Antoine. Czech, Slovak, Croatian, and Slovenian Ignac, Pavel, Zdenka.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Safar has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Safar was ranked as the 36,421st most popular surname in the United States. However, by 2010, it had risen to the 30,538th position, marking an increase in rank of 16.15%. The number of people with this surname also grew from 580 in 2000 to 764 in 2010, which is a substantial 31.72% increase. Accordingly, the proportion of individuals with the surname Safar per 100,000 citizens increased by 18.18%, moving from 0.22 in 2000 to 0.26 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#36,421#30,53816.15%
Count58076431.72%
Proportion per 100k0.220.2618.18%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Safar

Regarding the ethnicity of those bearing the surname Safar, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some shifts over the decade. In 2000, a vast majority (86.21%) identified as White, and this percentage slightly increased to 89.79% by 2010. Those identifying as having two or more ethnic identities decreased from 9.66% to 4.71%. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic rose by 18.48% to reach 3.27% in 2010. Notably, in 2010, there were individuals with the surname Safar who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, groups that were not represented in the 2000 data. American Indian and Alaskan Native identities remained unrepresented in both census years.

20002010Change
White86.21%89.79%4.15%
Two or More Races9.66%4.71%-51.24%
Hispanic2.76%3.27%18.48%
Black0%1.18%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%1.05%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%