Explore the Family Name Safir

The meaning of Safir

1. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): artificial name from northeastern Yiddish dialect safir and German Saphir ‘sapphire’. Compare Sapir. 2. Muslim (mainly Maghreb and the Indian subcontinent): from a personal name based on Arabic safīr ‘ambassador, mediator’ or sāfir ‘traveler’, both from the root s-f-r, meaning ‘travel’. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Dov, Igal, Ruvin. Russian Lev, Boris, Galina, Raisa, Vladimir.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Safir" has seen a slight increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. Its rank shifted from 63,450 in 2000 to 61,745 in 2010, representing a change of 2.69%. Moreover, the count of individuals carrying this surname also increased by 10.54%, climbing from 294 in 2000 to 325 in 2010. Despite these changes, the proportion per 100,000 remained consistent at 0.11.

20002010Change
Rank#63,450#61,7452.69%
Count29432510.54%
Proportion per 100k0.110.110%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Safir

Regarding its ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of those with the surname "Safir" identify as White, although there was a slight decrease from 88.78% in 2000 to 87.08% in 2010. Additionally, a significant jump was observed in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, rising from 4.42% in 2000 to 6.15% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Two or more races saw a drop of 32.11%, and those identifying as Hispanic fell 24.51%. Interestingly, no one with the surname identified as Black in 2000, but by 2010, this group made up 2.46%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw no change.

20002010Change
White88.78%87.08%-1.91%
Asian/Pacific Islander4.42%6.15%39.14%
Two or More Races4.08%2.77%-32.11%
Black0%2.46%0%
Hispanic2.04%1.54%-24.51%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%