Explore the Family Name Berkowitz
The meaning of Berkowitz
Jewish (Ashkenazic): patronymic from the Yiddish male personal name Berke. The ending -owitz is a Germanized form of the East Slavic patronymic ending -ovich (see Berkovich), Polish -owicz. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Meyer, Chaim, Moshe, Isadore, Hyman, Levi, Mort, Rebekah, Shira, Zvi.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Berkowitz in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Berkowitz has seen a slight change in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Berkowitz ranked 4725th in popularity with a count of 6865, representing 2.54 individuals per 100k people. By 2010, although the total count of individuals with this surname increased to 7000, its rank dropped to 5018, and the proportion per 100k people also decreased to 2.37, reflecting a popularity change of -6.2%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,725 | #5,018 | -6.2% |
| Count | 6,865 | 7,000 | 1.97% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.54 | 2.37 | -6.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Berkowitz
From an ethnic identity perspective, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that there were shifts among Berkowitz individuals between 2000 and 2010. The majority of individuals with the Berkowitz surname identified as White, accounting for 96.98% in 2000 and slightly decreasing to 96.63% in 2010. Hispanic identification almost doubled from 1.28% to 2.00%. A significant increase was noticed within the Asian/Pacific Islander category, growing from 0.35% to 0.51%. The percentage of those identifying with two or more races saw a decrease from 1.09% to 0.53%. In 2010, some Berkowitz individuals started identifying as Black (0.33%), while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained constant at 0% for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.98% | 96.63% | -0.36% |
| Hispanic | 1.28% | 2% | 56.25% |
| Two or More Races | 1.09% | 0.53% | -51.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.51% | 45.71% |
| Black | 0% | 0.33% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Berkowitz 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 Berkowitz is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 62.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (12.8%) and French & German (7.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 62.8% |
| British & Irish | 12.8% |
| French & German | 7.7% |
| Other | 16.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Berkowitz
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 Berkowitz have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 32.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 32.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 32.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 31.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 31.60% |
What Berkowitz 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 Berkowitz is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-CTS5368 and J-P58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Spiegel, Mandel, Weinstein, Goldstein, Schwartz, Eisenberg, Stern, Goldberg, Spector, Margolis.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Berkowitz surname are: K1a1b1a, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Berkowitz 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.
"Berkowitz" Surname 37.0%
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.
"Berkowitz" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Berkowitz" 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.
"Berkowitz" Surname 13.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Berkowitz?
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 Berkowitz are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition