Explore the Family Name Damian
The meaning of Damian
1. Spanish (Damián), German, Romanian, Italian, and Polish: from the personal name Damián, Damian respectively, Greek Damianos (from damazein ‘to subdue’), Latin Damianus. Saint Damian was an early Christian saint martyred in Cilicia in 303 AD under the emperor Domitian, together with his brother Cosmas (see Kosmas). In some accounts the brothers are said to have been doctors, and together they were regarded as the patrons of physicians and apothecaries. A later Saint Damian lived in the 7th–8th centuries and was bishop of Pavia; he may have had some influence on the popularity of the personal name in Italy. This surname is also found among Rusyns (Lemkos). 2. In some cases probably also French (southern France and Lorraine): from a variant of the personal name Damien, a cognate of 1 above. 3. In some cases probably also an Americanized form of Slovenian and Croatian Damjan or Damijan: from the personal name Dam(i)jan (see 1 above). Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Francisco, Juan, Jose, Pedro, Alberto, Armando, Carlos, Cesar, Elena, Felipe, Lourdes, Luis.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Damian in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Damian has significantly increased in popularity in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Damian ranked as the 6719th most common surname, but by 2010 it had jumped to the 4980th position, marking an improvement of approximately 26%. In terms of raw counts, the number of individuals with the Damian surname expanded from 4631 in 2000 to 7048 in 2010 - a substantial increase of just over 52%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals with the Damian surname per 100,000 people also increased, rising by nearly 39% from 1.72 to 2.39.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,719 | #4,980 | 25.88% |
| Count | 4,631 | 7,048 | 52.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.72 | 2.39 | 38.95% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Damian
Regarding ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the distribution across different ethnicities for the surname Damian shifted somewhat from 2000 to 2010. The Hispanic demographic represented the largest group, growing from 66.85% to 73.43% over the decade. Meanwhile, the percentage of Damians identifying as White decreased by around 20%, going from 24.68% to 19.62%. Similarly, there were small declines in the percentages of Damians identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian or Alaskan Native. Finally, the percentage of individuals with the Damian surname who identified with two or more races also dropped, decreasing by 38.02% to 0.75% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 66.85% | 73.43% | 9.84% |
| White | 24.68% | 19.62% | -20.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 5.66% | 4.82% | -14.84% |
| Black | 0.97% | 0.82% | -15.46% |
| Two or More Races | 1.21% | 0.75% | -38.02% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.63% | 0.55% | -12.7% |
Damian 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 Damian is Greek & Balkan, which comprises 19.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (18.1%) and Spanish & Portuguese (12.5%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, Eastern European, French & German, Filipino & Austronesian, and Italian.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Greek & Balkan | 19.6% |
| Indigenous American | 18.1% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 12.5% |
| Other | 49.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Damian
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 Damian have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Chihuahua, Mexico | 35.60% |
| San Luis Potosi, Mexico | 35.60% |
| Coahuila, Mexico | 35.60% |
| Colima, Mexico | 35.60% |
| Durango, Mexico | 35.60% |
What Damian 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 Damian 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 Damian surname are: A2, M, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
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 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 Damian 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.
"Damian" Surname 47.8%
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.
"Damian" Surname 50.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Damian" Surname 20.0%
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.
"Damian" Surname 14.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Damian?
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 Damian are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition