Explore the Family Name Yafai

The meaning of Yafai

Muslim: 1. ethnic name from the name of the Yafa’i tribe from the region of Yāfiʿ, Yemen. 2. probably also a habitational name from an adjectival form of Yāfā, the Arabic name of the city of Jaffa, now in Israel.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Yafai saw a significant increase between 2000 and 2010 in the United States. In the year 2000, the surname Yafai ranked 101,157 in terms of popularity, but by 2010, it had climbed to rank 57,781, representing a change of 42.88%. The total count of individuals with this surname similarly increased from 165 in 2000 to 352 in 2010, marking an impressive growth rate of 113.33%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Yafai per 100,000 population doubled from 0.06 to 0.12 during this time period.

20002010Change
Rank#101,157#57,78142.88%
Count165352113.33%
Proportion per 100k0.060.12100%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yafai

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Yafai. In the year 2000, the majority of individuals with this surname identified themselves as White (43.64%), followed by those identifying with two or more races (40%). However, by 2010, there was a substantial shift with the percentage of individuals identifying as White increasing to 75.57%, while those reporting two or more races decreased significantly to 15.91%. Interestingly, the proportion of people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander reduced by half from 12.73% to 6.25%. During this same period, a small percentage (1.70%) began identifying as Hispanic, which was not reported in 2000. There were no individuals identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White43.64%75.57%73.17%
Two or More Races40%15.91%-60.23%
Asian/Pacific Islander12.73%6.25%-50.9%
Hispanic0%1.7%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%