Explore the Family Name Alam
The meaning of Alam
Muslim: 1. from a personal name based on Arabic ʿalam ‘emblem, banner’, hence an epithet for a distinguished man. ʿAlam-al-Huda ‘banner of guidance’ is an honorific title of the prophet Muhammad. 2. from a personal name based on Arabic ʿālam ‘world’. This name is found in a variety of compounds, which are popular in the subcontinent, for example Badrul-ʿĀlam ‘full moon of the world’. Compare Alem. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohammed, Mohammad, Syed, Shamsul, Nurul, Mohamed, Muhammad, Mahbub, Mahbubul, Mahmood, Arif, Masud.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Alam in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Alam increased significantly in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 6,942nd in terms of prevalence but jumped to 4,476th by 2010, a change of over 35%. The count of individuals with this surname also rose dramatically from 4,455 to 7,932, marking an increase of more than 78%. The proportion of individuals with this surname per 100,000 people also saw a substantial increase, going from 1.65 to 2.69.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,942 | #4,476 | 35.52% |
| Count | 4,455 | 7,932 | 78.05% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.65 | 2.69 | 63.03% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Alam
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the Alam surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, a significant shift occurred between 2000 and 2010. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander made up the majority of those with the surname, increasing from 71.29% to 82.92%. Meanwhile, there was a decrease in the number of Alams who identified as being of two or more races, dropping from 11.49% to 3.45%. Similarly, those identifying as White fell from 13.22% to 10.24%, and those identifying as Hispanic went from 2.63% to 1.88%. There was a small decrease among those identifying as Black, from 1.08% to 1.01%. Interestingly, there was an increase in the percentage of Alams identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, though it remained a very small proportion, rising from 0.29% to 0.50%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 71.29% | 82.92% | 16.31% |
| White | 13.22% | 10.24% | -22.54% |
| Two or More Races | 11.49% | 3.45% | -69.97% |
| Hispanic | 2.63% | 1.88% | -28.52% |
| Black | 1.08% | 1.01% | -6.48% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.29% | 0.5% | 72.41% |
Alam ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Alam is Bengali & Northeast Indian, which comprises 43.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Northern Indian & Pakistani (28.6%) and British & Irish (5.4%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Levantine, Central Asian, Southern Indian & Sri Lankan, and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Bengali & Northeast Indian | 43.1% |
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 28.6% |
| British & Irish | 5.4% |
| Other | 22.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Alam
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Alam have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Chittagong Division, Bangladesh | 20.80% |
| Dhaka Division, Bangladesh | 20.10% |
| Punjab, Pakistan | 17.40% |
| Sylhet Division, Bangladesh | 12.80% |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | 9.40% |
What Alam haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Alam is R-Y6, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y6 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-Z93 and J-L26, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hussain, Chowdhury, Prasad, Ahmad, Das, Sharma, Siddiqui, Khan, Shaikh, Chaudhry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Alam surname are: M, H, R. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent
While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.
What do people with the surname Alam have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Alam" Surname 31.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Alam" Surname 40.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Alam" Surname 20.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Alam" Surname 9.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Alam?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Alam are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition