Explore the Family Name Borja

The meaning of Borja

Spanish: habitational name from a place in Zaragoza province, named from Arabic burj ‘tower’. See also Borgia. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Jesus, Francisco, Carlos, Juan, Alfredo, Jorge, Manuel, Ricardo, Roberto, Angel, Armando.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Borja has seen a significant rise in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 5895th in terms of common surnames in the United States but rose to 4656th in 2010, marking an impressive increase of 21.02%. The number of individuals with this surname also experienced substantial growth, as the count increased by 41.7%, from 5376 in 2000 to 7618 in 2010. This surge in popularity is further reflected in the proportion per 100k, which rose from 1.99 to 2.58 during the same period, indicating a 29.65% change.

20002010Change
Rank#5,895#4,65621.02%
Count5,3767,61841.7%
Proportion per 100k1.992.5829.65%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Borja

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Borja saw some changes from 2000 to 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The majority of individuals bearing this name are of Hispanic ethnicity, which increased from 60.75% in 2000 to 64.02% in 2010. There was a slight decline in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and White, with the former seeing a drop of 6.3% and the latter decreasing by 21.64%. Meanwhile, the percentage of people identifying with two or more races saw a modest increase, rising from 3.39% to 3.62%. Notably, 2010 marked the first appearance of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities among individuals with the surname Borja, albeit at very low percentages.

20002010Change
Hispanic60.75%64.02%5.38%
Asian/Pacific Islander26.97%25.27%-6.3%
White8.41%6.59%-21.64%
Two or More Races3.39%3.62%6.78%
Black0%0.39%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.11%0%

Borja 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 Borja is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 25.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Filipino & Austronesian (24.8%) and Indigenous American (20.1%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, French & German, Chinese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Scandinavian.

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 & Portuguese25.6%
Filipino & Austronesian24.8%
Indigenous American20.1%
Other29.6%
Borja

Possible origins of the surname Borja

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 Borja have recent ancestry locations in the Philippines and Mexico.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Calabarzon, Philippines35.70%
Central Luzon, Philippines35.70%
Ilocos Region, Philippines35.70%
Metro Manila, Philippines35.70%
Bicol, Philippines35.00%

What Borja 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 Borja is O-F706, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F706 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include R-DF27 and E-M183, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Aquino, Antonio, De Jesus, Pascual, Paulino, Santos, Soriano, Lee, Neiman, Durso.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Borja surname are: B2, H, A2. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

borjaPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to many of the Massim groups of Papua New Guinea

Haplogroup O2a is prevalent among Massim ethnic groups, including the populations of Airara, Nomanby, the eastern tip of the mainland, the Trobriand Islands, Gawa, Woodlark, the Laughland Islands, and western Calvados. While Papua New Guinea has been inhabited for over 50,000 years, the Massim may have arrived in the last 2,000 years. Today, these populations remain connected through a traditional island trading system called the Kula Ring. Under this exchange system, residents ensure that goods that are only available on some islands, but that are vitally needed in other islands, are shared among the island populations. Only Massim men participate in the Kula exchange system, and it is common for men to be away from home for months at a time when trading with men from other islands.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Ancestral Puebloans

Haplogroup B appears to have been a fixture in the Southwest at least since the introduction of agriculture to the region from Mesoamerica 2,500 to 3,500 years ago. In some areas the haplogroup is found in 100% of the Native American population and sometimes multiple populations share the exact same branch of B, as is the case for the Navajo, Zuni, Jemez and Seri groups.Haplogroup B reaches levels of 75-90% among the Pueblo groups of New Mexico and Arizona, which are thought to descend from the cliff-dwelling Ancestral Puebloans who occupied the Southwest from the 8th century AD until their sudden disappearance in the early 12th century. The Ancestral Puebloans didn't literally disappear; modern Pueblo people and most scholars believe warfare or environmental catastrophe forced them to abandon their elaborate cliff dwellings for settlements in the Rio Grande valley. Recent studies of DNA extracted from 2,000-year-old remains have supported that view by establishing the presence of haplogroup B among the Ancestral Puebloans.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Borja 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

Borja

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Borja" Surname 25.7%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Borja

Misophonia

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

"Borja" Surname 40.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Borja

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Borja" Surname 20.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Borja

Migraine

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

"Borja" Surname 17.9%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Borja?

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 Borja 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%