Explore the Family Name Azar
The meaning of Azar
1. Iranian: from the Persian personal name Āzar, from āzar ‘fire’, a word also denoting the ninth month (and the ninth day of any month) of the Persian solar year. 2. Arabic (the Levant): from the personal name Āzar, an Arabic cognate of Biblical Terah (Syriac Athar), borne by father of Abraham. Bearers of this surname are mostly Christians. Compare Azer. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Khalil, Nabil, Sami, Basem, Fouad, Ibrahim, Marwan, Mohammad, Ahmad, Amin, Aziz, Hamid.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Azar in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Azar has seen a significant rise between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Azar was ranked 10,111th in terms of popularity but jumped to 9,643rd by 2010, marking a 4.63% increase. The number of individuals with the Azar surname also grew from 2,934 in 2000 to 3,365 in 2010, a growth of 14.69%. Consequently, the proportion of the Azar name per 100,000 people increased from 1.09 to 1.14–a 4.59% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,111 | #9,643 | 4.63% |
| Count | 2,934 | 3,365 | 14.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.09 | 1.14 | 4.59% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Azar
The ethnic identity associated with the Azar surname as per the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Azars identifying as White increased slightly by 2.11%, making up the majority at 86.69% in 2010. Those identifying as Hispanic saw a more substantial increase of 24.36%, although still only representing 7.25% of those with the surname. Interestingly, there was a drop of 42.95% among those identifying with two or more races, decreasing from 6.31% to 3.60%. The percentage of Azars identifying as Black also decreased by 19.41%. Data for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native was suppressed for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.9% | 86.69% | 2.11% |
| Hispanic | 5.83% | 7.25% | 24.36% |
| Two or More Races | 6.31% | 3.6% | -42.95% |
| Black | 1.7% | 1.37% | -19.41% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Azar 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 Azar is Levantine, which comprises 38.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (18.9%) and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian (10.2%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Levantine | 38.8% |
| British & Irish | 18.9% |
| Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian | 10.2% |
| Other | 32.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Azar
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 Azar have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Lebanon, and Syria.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Beirut Governorate, Lebanon | 49.00% |
| Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon | 49.00% |
| Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon | 48.30% |
| North Governorate, Lebanon | 48.30% |
| South Governorate, Lebanon | 45.60% |
What Azar 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 Azar is J-L26, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-L26 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-L23 and E-M78, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nasser, Karam, Issa, Salem, Said, Hussein, Ismail, Awad, Mansour, Shaheen.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Azar surname are: H1, K1a, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Azar 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.
"Azar" Surname 38.5%
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.
"Azar" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Azar" Surname 16.3%
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.
"Azar" Surname 15.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Azar?
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 Azar are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition