Explore the Family Name Tesfai

The meaning of Tesfai

Eritrean: variant of the Tigrinya name Tesfay, found almost exclusively among Eritreans. — Note: Since Eritreans do not have hereditary surnames, this name was 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 Tesfai in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Tesfai has grown in popularity over the years. In 2000, this family name ranked 53,191 in the United States, and by 2010 it climbed up to rank 41,359, marking a notable increase of 22.24%. The count, which represents the number of people with the surname, also saw a substantial rise from 365 in 2000 to 526 in 2010 – an increase of 44.11%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals named Tesfai per 100,000 people grew by 28.57%.

20002010Change
Rank#53,191#41,35922.24%
Count36552644.11%
Proportion per 100k0.140.1828.57%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tesfai

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Tesfai has also seen some shifts according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The most significant change is observed in the Black community, where the percentage of individuals with the surname Tesfai rose from 86.58% in 2000 to 93.54% in 2010. A new development in 2010 was the emergence of the surname among the Hispanic community, albeit at a small proportion of 1.52%. However, there were declines in other ethnicities. The percentage of individuals identifying as Two or more races dropped sharply by 70.58%, while the White community saw a decline of 46.15%. Interestingly, the Asian/Pacific Islander community, which had a small percentage of 1.37% in 2000, no longer featured in 2010. There were no recorded instances of the surname within the American Indian and Alaskan Native communities for both census years.

20002010Change
Black86.58%93.54%8.04%
Two or More Races9.04%2.66%-70.58%
Hispanic0%1.52%0%
White2.47%1.33%-46.15%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.37%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%