Explore the Family Name Awad
The meaning of Awad
Arabic: 1. occupational name from ʿawwād ‘lute player’ or ‘lute maker’. 2. possibly also from a personal name based on ʿawwād ‘one who compensates or indemnifies’. Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohamed, Mohammed, Nabil, Ghassan, Youssef, Abdel, Ahmed, Ibrahim, Mahmoud, Samir, Ahmad, Ali.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Awad in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Awad in the United States has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. It rose in rank from 8066 to 6275, a change of 22.2%. The count also grew by 43.73%, with the number of people bearing this last name rising from 3789 to 5446. Furthermore, the proportion of individuals named Awad per 100,000 people increased by 32.14%, going from 1.4 to 1.85.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,066 | #6,275 | 22.2% |
| Count | 3,789 | 5,446 | 43.73% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.4 | 1.85 | 32.14% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Awad
The ethnicity distribution of the Awad surname also underwent changes over the same period, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, no individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native. However, by 2010, these groups made up 1.87% and 0.22% respectively. The proportion of those identifying as two or more races dropped dramatically by nearly 70%, falling from 18.05% to 5.42%. Meanwhile, the percentage of white individuals increased by 14.02%, reaching 83.18% in 2010. Both Hispanic and Black populations also saw an increase in their proportions, with the former going up by 15.19% to reach 4.17% and the latter rising by 43.18% to hit 5.14%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.95% | 83.18% | 14.02% |
| Two or More Races | 18.05% | 5.42% | -69.97% |
| Black | 3.59% | 5.14% | 43.18% |
| Hispanic | 3.62% | 4.17% | 15.19% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.87% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.22% | 0% |
Awad 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 Awad is Levantine, which comprises 30.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Coptic Egyptian (19.0%) and Egyptian (11.7%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, French & German, Sudanese, Spanish & Portuguese, and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Levantine | 30.8% |
| Coptic Egyptian | 19.0% |
| Egyptian | 11.7% |
| Other | 38.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Awad
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 Awad have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Lebanon, and Syria.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Beirut Governorate, Lebanon | 37.60% |
| Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon | 35.90% |
| North Governorate, Lebanon | 35.90% |
| Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon | 32.50% |
| South Governorate, Lebanon | 31.60% |
What Awad 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 Awad 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 J-L26 and E-Z827, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mansour, Issa, Youssef, Nasser, Aziz, Salem, Khalil, Shaheen, Said, Hussein.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Awad surname are: H1, H, T1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European 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 Awad 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.
"Awad" Surname 28.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Awad" Surname 41.7%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Awad" Surname 46.2%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Awad" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Awad?
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 Awad are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition