Explore the Family Name Borges

The meaning of Borges

1. Catalan: habitational name from any of several places called Borges in Catalonia (Spain), for example Les Borges Blanques, in Lleida, or Les Borges del Camp, in Tarragona, plural of Borge. 2. Portuguese: habitational name from any of the places called Borges of uncertain etymology (compare 1 above). In some cases perhaps also a reference to an immigrant from Bourges in France (documented in the 14th century). 3. German: from a short form of the medieval personal name Liborius (see Liborio), the name of the patron saint of the city of Paderborn. 4. Danish: from the German patronymic Borchers. 5. English: variant of Burgess. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Manuel, Carlos, Francisco, Luis, Julio, Mario, Eduardo, Jorge, Ana, Jesus, Orlando. Portuguese Joao, Afonso, Manoel, Duarte, Heitor, Joaquim, Marcio, Neuza, Paulo, Vasco.

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

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

According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Borges has shown a significant increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Borges was ranked at 3,196 in terms of frequency among surnames, but by 2010, it had risen to rank 2,908. This indicates a change of 9.01%. Additionally, the count of individuals named Borges rose from 10,282 in 2000 to 12,337 in 2010, marking an increase of almost 20%. The proportion per 100,000 people also increased from 3.81 in 2000 to 4.18 in 2010, showing a rise of 9.71%.

20002010Change
Rank#3,196#2,9089.01%
Count10,28212,33719.99%
Proportion per 100k3.814.189.71%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Borges

In regards to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census provides some insight into the distribution of the Borges surname among various ethnicities. The Hispanic population with the Borges surname saw an increase of 9.56% between 2000 and 2010, while the Black population showed a marked rise of 48.77%. The White population slightly decreased from 58.93% to 57.30%, however, they still held the majority. The Asian/Pacific Islander group remained relatively stable, with a small increase of 0.73%. Interestingly, there was a substantial decrease of 54.91% within the Two or more races category. Lastly, American Indian and Alaskan Native representation saw an increase of 37.50%, albeit from a very small base.

20002010Change
White58.93%57.3%-2.77%
Hispanic32.83%35.97%9.56%
Black2.03%3.02%48.77%
Two or More Races4.68%2.11%-54.91%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.37%1.38%0.73%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.16%0.22%37.5%

Borges 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 Borges is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 54.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (12.1%) and French & German (7.8%). Additional ancestries include Indigenous American, Italian, Eastern European, Nigerian, and Angolan & Congolese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Spanish & Portuguese54.3%
British & Irish12.1%
French & German7.8%
Other25.8%
Borges

Possible origins of the surname Borges

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 Borges have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Azores, Portugal46.60%
Madeira, Portugal46.40%
Aveiro District, Portugal44.00%
Lisbon, Portugal43.20%
Porto District, Portugal39.90%

What Borges 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 Borges 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 R-Z150 and J-L26, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ferreira, Alves, Souza, Da Silva, Pereira, Almeida, Freitas, Fernandes, Soares, Machado.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Borges surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

borgesPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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 Borges 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

Borges

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Borges" Surname 34.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Borges

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Borges" Surname 35.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Borges

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Borges" Surname 24.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Borges

Migraine

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

"Borges" Surname 18.8%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Borges?

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 Borges 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%