Explore the Family Name Sufi
The meaning of Sufi
1. Muslim (mainly Iran and Bangladesh): from the Persian personal name Sūfī, based on the adjective sūfī ‘wise’, a derivative of sūf ‘wisdom’. 2. Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name, from Arabic ṣūfiyy, literally ‘man of wool’ (i.e. ‘one who wears woollen clothes’), a term denoting a practitioner of Sufism. — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sufi in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Sufi has grown in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Sufi ranked 82,019, but by 2010, it had jumped to a substantially higher position of 53,913 - an increase of over 34 percent. The actual count of individuals with the Sufi surname also rose during this decade, from 214 to 383, marking an impressive growth rate of nearly 79 percent. The proportion per 100k followed a similar upward trend, climbing from 0.08 to 0.13.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #82,019 | #53,913 | 34.27% |
| Count | 214 | 383 | 78.97% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.13 | 62.5% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sufi
The ethnicity distribution for the Sufi surname indicates significant shifts between 2000 and 2010, as shown by the Decennial U.S. Census data. There was a decrease of approximately 13 percent in the Asian/Pacific Islander group, while the percentage of those identifying as Two or more races saw a dramatic drop of over 91 percent. White individuals using the Sufi surname decreased by around 11 percent. On the other hand, there was a remarkable surge in the Black community, which increased by over 125 percent. Meanwhile, the Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native groups remained consistent, with no changes recorded during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 23.83% | 53.79% | 125.72% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 35.51% | 30.81% | -13.24% |
| White | 14.02% | 12.53% | -10.63% |
| Two or More Races | 26.17% | 2.35% | -91.02% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |