Explore the Family Name Amato
The meaning of Amato
Italian: from the personal name Amato, from Latin Amatus, from amatus ‘beloved’. The Latin name was favored by the early Christians, who used it in the sense ‘beloved by God’, and was borne by various minor saints. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Salvatore, Angelo, Sal, Antonio, Giuseppe, Rocco, Carmine, Natale, Vito, Pasquale, Gaetano, Pietro.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Amato in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Amato saw a slight dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The census data shows that while the rank of the surname dropped from 2676 to 2837, marking a decrease of 6.02%, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased by 2.43% over the same period, growing from 12411 to 12713. However, when considering the proportion per 100k, there was a decrease of 6.3%, moving from 4.6 in 2000 to 4.31 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,676 | #2,837 | -6.02% |
| Count | 12,411 | 12,713 | 2.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.6 | 4.31 | -6.3% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Amato
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveal some shifts among those bearing the Amato surname between 2000 and 2010. The largest percentage increase was seen in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, which surged by 112.96%. Hispanic representation also grew by 31.55%. Conversely, those identifying as two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw decreases of 24.41% and 26.32% respectively. Although the White category remained the dominant ethnic identity at over 90%, it experienced a slight decrease of 1.73% over the ten-year period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.79% | 92.17% | -1.73% |
| Hispanic | 3.93% | 5.17% | 31.55% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 1.15% | 112.96% |
| Two or More Races | 1.27% | 0.96% | -24.41% |
| Black | 0.28% | 0.42% | 50% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.19% | 0.14% | -26.32% |
Amato 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 Amato is Italian, which comprises 39.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (25.5%) and French & German (12.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Italian | 39.4% |
| British & Irish | 25.5% |
| French & German | 12.1% |
| Other | 23.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Amato
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 Amato have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Sicily, Italy | 65.50% |
| Calabria, Italy | 63.80% |
| Campania, Italy | 63.80% |
| Apulia, Italy | 57.40% |
| Abruzzo, Italy | 55.10% |
What Amato 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 Amato is E-V13, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-V13 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include J-CTS5368 and J-L70, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Russo, Esposito, Gentile, Romano, Giordano, Haddad, Rizzo, Orlando, Wolff, Klein.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Amato surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early Balkan migrants
Haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a migrated in large numbers from the Balkans into Europe about 4,500 years ago, triggered by the beginning of the Balkan Bronze Age. During this migration, members of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a mainly followed rivers connecting the southern Balkans to northern-central Europe. Technological leaps often cause lineages to grow dramatically in numbers and in geographic range. The development of Bronze technology may have given men in haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a a competitive advantage over other men, causing haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a to proliferate and become widespread.
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 Amato 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.
"Amato" Surname 38.2%
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.
"Amato" Surname 32.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Amato" Surname 20.8%
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.
"Amato" Surname 17.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Amato?
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 Amato are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition