Holding steady, #9,714 for boys today.
Popularity of Surafel since 2003
Babies named Surafel per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 34 |
| 2010s | 56 |
| 2020s | 25 |
Meaning & origin
Surafel is a rare Ethiopian name that first entered U.S. records in 2003. Its meaning, 'my hope is in God,' ties it to the devotional naming practices of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. The name reached its peak popularity in 2012, though it remains uncommon, with a rank of 9,714 in 2025 and an incidence of 1 in 244,011 births. The trajectory for Surafel has been stable in recent years, reflecting steady but minimal usage primarily within Ethiopian-American communities. No U.S. states have recorded significant clustering, consistent with its status as a diaspora name. Surafel exemplifies how names from the Horn of Africa have gradually gained a foothold in American naming pools, often preserving cultural and religious significance.
Surafel is an Ethiopian given name of Amharic origin. It is derived from the Amharic phrase meaning 'my hope is in God', reflecting a theophoric and devotional naming tradition common in Ethiopian Orthodox Christian culture. The name has been used in Ethiopia and among the Ethiopian diaspora, with recorded use in the United States beginning in the early 2000s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Suri, Fel
Sibling names for Surafel
Names that share Surafel's style, for a brother or sister.
