The Lafferty surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,373 people carried this name — #3,443 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 28,400 people counted. That is up 4% from 10,014 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Lafferty surname

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Laithbhearthaig.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Lafferty» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 17 births for the Lafferty name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 17

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

Lafferty was recorded 74 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 365th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 62. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Lafferty was counted together with Laferty: 28 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 129 people lived in those households, 4.6 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Laferty, Laefferty, Laffarty, Lafferty, Laffity, Laugherty, Laverty. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 17
North Carolina 4
Maryland 3
Vermont 1
New York 1
Virginia 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 249 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Lafferty in American newspapers,
1883–1911.

Newspaper page from The Benton Weekly Record carrying the name Lafferty
The Benton Weekly Record 1883-11-24
Newspaper page from The Helena Independent carrying the name Lafferty
The Helena Independent 1891-07-14
Newspaper page from The River Press carrying the name Lafferty
The River Press 1911-04-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 43,328 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Lafferty in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

2,273 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Lafferty. The most, 614, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 723
Queensland 645
New South Wales 441
Western Australia 225
South Australia 178
Tasmania 31
ACT (Canberra) 18

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Lafferty.

Who carried it

People named Lafferty,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Delamere Lafferty
    James Delamere Lafferty 1849–1920 · physician
  • Alma V. Lafferty
    Alma V. Lafferty 1854–1928 · politician
  • Walter Lafferty
    Walter Lafferty 1875–1964 · lawyer
  • R. A. Lafferty
    R. A. Lafferty 1914–2002 · writer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped — R. A. Lafferty: Keith Purtell, CC BY-SA 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/); the others are in the public domain or CC0 · 44 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Lafferty,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,415 records

1,415 records of the Lafferty name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 354
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 349
  • Other U.S. records 712
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Harry M. Lafferty

    Born 1924 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1943 at Philadelphia; mechanic's helper. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Whitemarsh Memorial Park, Ambler, Pennsylvania.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Grace Lafferty

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Ethiopia from Glasgow, aged 22; servant. From Londonderry, Ireland; bound for Philadelphia.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Thomas Lee Lafferty

    Born 1950; from Adrian, Michigan. U.S. Army, armor reconnaissance specialist; killed in action 1970 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,415 records for Lafferty in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia125 records

125 records of the Lafferty name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 62
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 25
  • Other Australian records 38
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Lafferty

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Theresa, arriving 1839; ticket of leave 1856.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Lafferty

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Cuzco, aged 14; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Cyril Beaumont Lafferty

    Retired of Mordialloc, Victoria; died 1980.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 125 records for Lafferty in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom44 records

44 records of the Lafferty name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 40
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert Lafferty

    Buried in 1943 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 69.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Lafferty

    Iighland Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Lafferty

    Buried in 1888 at Mar Place Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 90.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 44 records for Lafferty in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada27 records

27 records of the Lafferty name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 10
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 10
  • Other Canadian records 7
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Jennie Deborah Lafferty

    Buried in 1967 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 84.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Annastatia Lafferty

    Died 1922 in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Fleming Lafferty

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 27 records for Lafferty in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand9 records

9 records of the Lafferty name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Lafferty

    Died 1910, aged 75; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Lafferty

    Died 1987, aged 58; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Joseph Daniel Lafferty

    Died 1984, aged 77; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Lafferty in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Lafferty name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Eileen Lafferty

    Died 1993; buried at Rakerin, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Lafferty.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Lafferty is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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