Explore the Family Name Ali
The meaning of Ali
Arabic: from the personal name ʿAlī ‘high, lofty, sublime’. Al-ʿAlī ‘the All-High’ is an attribute of God/Allah, also seen in the compound name ʿAbd al-ʿAlī, ʿAbdul-ʿAlī (see Abdulali). The name ʿAlī was borne by the first imam of the Shiite Muslims, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (c.600–61). This surname is found among both Muslims and Christians. In North America, it is also established among African Americans. Compare Alali, Alli, and Aly. History: ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, the cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad, was the fourth and last of the ‘rightly guided’ caliphs (ruled 656–61). His assassination led to the appearance of the Shiite sect. — Muhammad Ali, an American boxer born in 1942 as Cassius Clay, adopted the Arabic name in 1964 after his conversion to Islam. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Syed, Mohammed, Mohammad, Ahmed, Mohamed, Abdul, Hassan, Shaukat, Ali, Muhammad, Ahmad, Akbar.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ali in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Ali' has significantly increased over a decade. In 2000, 'Ali' was ranked as the 876th most popular surname, with a count of 36,079 instances. However, by 2010, the surname had jumped to the 559th position, experiencing a substantial increase of 36.19% in rank. The count of individuals bearing the surname also rose by 66.31%, totaling 60,002 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of 'Ali' per 100,000 people in the population grew by 52.13%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #876 | #559 | 36.19% |
| Count | 36,079 | 60,002 | 66.31% |
| Proportion per 100k | 13.37 | 20.34 | 52.13% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ali
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Ali'. As of 2010, the most common ethnicity identified with 'Ali' was Asian/Pacific Islander, accounting for 42.91% of individuals, a slight increase from 41.90% in 2000. The second largest racial group was Black, which saw a significant rise from 21.83% in 2000 to 30.71% in 2010. However, the representation of 'Ali' among those identifying as two or more races decreased notably from 17.49% to 5.66%. There were minor changes in the proportions of White (15.25% to 17.33%) and Hispanic (2.95% to 2.87%), while American Indian and Alaskan Native remained the least represented at 0.51% in 2010, down slightly from 0.58% in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 41.9% | 42.91% | 2.41% |
| Black | 21.83% | 30.71% | 40.68% |
| White | 15.25% | 17.33% | 13.64% |
| Two or More Races | 17.49% | 5.66% | -67.64% |
| Hispanic | 2.95% | 2.87% | -2.71% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.58% | 0.51% | -12.07% |
Ali 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 Ali is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 27.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Bengali & Northeast Indian (11.1%) and Somali (7.1%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, Peninsular Arab, Southern Indian & Sri Lankan, and Egyptian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 27.6% |
| Bengali & Northeast Indian | 11.1% |
| Somali | 7.1% |
| Other | 54.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Ali
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 Ali have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Pakistan, and United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Punjab, Pakistan | 18.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 13.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 13.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 13.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 13.10% |
What Ali 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 Ali is J-CTS5368, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-CTS5368 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-Y7 and R-Y6, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ahmed, Mohammed, Hassan, Ahmad, Hussain, Abraham, Syed, Joseph, Khan, Rahman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ali surname are: L2a1, U7, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304
Your paternal lineage may be linked to men who spread the Semitic languages
Men carrying the J-M267 lineage took part in many waves of migrations over the millennia, and domesticated animals and plants weren't the only things they carried. They may also have been among the communities that spread the Semitic languages, a diverse group that bloomed from a single proto-Semitic tongue in the Levant nearly 5,750 years ago. These men likely carried branches of both haplogroup J and of the Semitic language family through the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of Africa. Still later, some J-M267-bearing men re-expanded from the Arabian Peninsula back through the Middle East and across North Africa in migrations associated with the emergence and spread of Islam.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Ali 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.
"Ali" Surname 37.9%
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.
"Ali" Surname 38.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ali" Surname 15.9%
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.
"Ali" Surname 12.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ali?
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 Ali are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition