Explore the Family Name Bedoya

The meaning of Bedoya

Basque: Castilianized form of Bedoia, itself presumably an altered form of a habitational name from a place in Gipuzkoa province named Bedoña, from Basque bedi ‘pasture, grazing’ + the locative suffix -ona. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Carlos, Luis, Manuel, Juan, Luz, Pedro, Ricardo, Ruben, Alvaro, Eduardo, Gustavo.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bedoya in the United States?

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Bedoya has seen an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 11,239 in terms of prevalence, but by 2010, it had climbed to 9,486, a notable rise of 15.6%. The count of individuals with the Bedoya surname also saw a substantial increase during this time, growing by 32.65% from 2,585 to 3,429. Furthermore, the proportion of the surname per 100,000 people increased by 20.83%, from 0.96 to 1.16.

20002010Change
Rank#11,239#9,48615.6%
Count2,5853,42932.65%
Proportion per 100k0.961.1620.83%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bedoya

The ethnic identity associated with the Bedoya surname has also shown some shifts according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, 91.22% of those bearing the surname identified as Hispanic, which slightly rose to 91.51% in 2010. The percentage of Bedoyas who are White remained relatively stable, decreasing minimally from 6.89% to 6.82%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Bedoyas identifying as Asian or Pacific Islander increased by 15.38%, from 1.04% to 1.20%. Interestingly, the percentage of individuals with the Bedoya surname identifying with two or more races witnessed a significant decrease, going from 0.77% to 0.23%, marking a 70.13% change. The percentages for Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native were either zero or data was suppressed for privacy.

20002010Change
Hispanic91.22%91.51%0.32%
White6.89%6.82%-1.02%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.04%1.2%15.38%
Two or More Races0.77%0.23%-70.13%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%

Bedoya 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 Bedoya is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 50.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (27.4%) and British & Irish (5.3%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Italian, Nigerian, Senegambian & Guinean, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Spanish & Portuguese50.8%
Indigenous American27.4%
British & Irish5.3%
Other16.5%
Bedoya

Possible origins of the surname Bedoya

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 Bedoya have recent ancestry locations all within Colombia.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Antioquia, Colombia67.50%
Cundinamarca, Colombia67.50%
Atlantico, Colombia67.50%
Valle Del Cauca, Colombia67.50%
Tolima, Colombia67.50%

What Bedoya 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 Bedoya is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bedoya surname are: A2, H, B2d. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

bedoyaPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham

One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to some of the first Americans

Though the Ice Age was beginning to retreat when your A2 ancestors first entered North America, there were still massive barriers blocking their way. Glaciers and inhospitable climate covered much of the continent, blocking entry into the interior. Nonetheless, researchers have found evidence that a wave of American founders migrated over 13,000 kilometers to reach southern Chile in only 2,000 years, a blink of an eye in the story of human migration! Their highway to the south was the coast of the Pacific, stocked with fish, diverse marine mammals, and other valuable resources in the rich kelp forests of the upper latitudes and in the abundant fresh-water rivers near the equator. Because of this rapid movement south, the A2 haplogroup and its diverse branches are found throughout North and South America.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Bedoya 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

Bedoya

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Bedoya" Surname 29.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Bedoya

Cheek Dimples

Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.

"Bedoya" Surname 36.4%

23andMe Users 37.6%

Habits

Bedoya

Kinesthetic Learner

Preferring to learn and process information through hands-on activities, practical experiences, and active engagement.

"Bedoya" Surname 58.3%

23andMe Users 61.5%

Wellness

Bedoya

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Bedoya" Surname 15.2%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Bedoya?

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 Bedoya are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Spanish & Portuguese 56.3%

23andMe Users 57.2%