Explore the Family Name Cunha
The meaning of Cunha
Portuguese: habitational name from any of numerous places called Cunha; the ancient form of the placename is Cuinha, probably meaning ‘kitchen’ (from Latin culina). Compare Da Cunha. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Carlos, Mario, Luiz, Fernando, Ricardo, Domingos, Eduardo, Jorge, Alberto, Americo. Portuguese Joao, Joaquim, Paulo, Agostinho, Albano, Conceicao, Henrique, Margarida, Vasco, Zulmira.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cunha in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Cunha has seen a surge in popularity over a decade. In 2000, Cunha was ranked 6,923rd most popular, but by 2010 it had climbed to 6,555th — an improvement of 5.32%. The count of people with this surname also increased from 4,469 in 2000 to 5,170 in 2010, a growth rate of 15.69%. As a proportion per 100,000 people, the surname's presence grew from 1.66 to 1.75 over the same time period, a rise of 5.42%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,923 | #6,555 | 5.32% |
| Count | 4,469 | 5,170 | 15.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.66 | 1.75 | 5.42% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cunha
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Cunha also evolved between 2000 and 2010, as presented in the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled, moving from 0.81% to 1.49%. However, those identifying as two or more races dropped significantly from 6.78% to 1.49%. The largest group, White, saw a slight increase from 86.73% to 90.25%. The Hispanic percentage marginally decreased from 4.79% to 4.70%. The Black population experienced the biggest relative growth, tripling from 0.56% to 1.68%. Lastly, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a modest increase from 0.34% to 0.39%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.73% | 90.25% | 4.06% |
| Hispanic | 4.79% | 4.7% | -1.88% |
| Black | 0.56% | 1.68% | 200% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.81% | 1.49% | 83.95% |
| Two or More Races | 6.78% | 1.49% | -78.02% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.34% | 0.39% | 14.71% |
Cunha 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 Cunha is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 57.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (17.3%) and Italian (5.7%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Ashkenazi Jewish, Indigenous American, Eastern European, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 57.7% |
| British & Irish | 17.3% |
| Italian | 5.7% |
| Other | 19.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Cunha
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 Cunha have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Azores, Portugal | 69.20% |
| Madeira, Portugal | 68.20% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 65.60% |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 64.10% |
| Porto District, Portugal | 61.50% |
What Cunha 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 Cunha 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-L26 and R-Z195, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Silveira, Medeiros, Soares, Cabral, Teixeira, Freitas, Azevedo, Durham, Almeida, Correia.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cunha surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Cunha 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.
"Cunha" Surname 47.0%
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.
"Cunha" Surname 28.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cunha" Surname 14.7%
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.
"Cunha" Surname 11.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cunha?
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 Cunha are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition