Explore the Family Name Desai
The meaning of Desai
Indian (Gujarat and Maharashtra): Brahmin, Jain, and Parsi name meaning ‘landlord’, from Sanskrit dešasvāmī ‘lord of land’ (from deša ‘country’ + svāmī ‘lord, master’), which in earlier times denoted an official who collected revenue. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Anil, Bharat, Dilip, Mahesh, Ramesh, Vijay, Ashok, Girish, Sanjay, Harshad, Prakash, Kishor.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Desai in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Desai has seen a significant increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Desai ranked as the 2540th most popular last name and escalated to the 1938th rank by 2010, marking a change of 23.7%. The count of individuals with this surname also rose by 42.74% during this decade, growing from 13057 in 2000 to 18638 in 2010. As a proportion per 100k, the occurrence of the Desai surname increased by 30.58%, moving from 4.84 to 6.32.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,540 | #1,938 | 23.7% |
| Count | 13,057 | 18,638 | 42.74% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.84 | 6.32 | 30.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Desai
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the Desai surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, increasing slightly from 91.72% in 2000 to 93.75% in 2010. The second most common ethnic identity for those with this surname is "Two or more races," which decreased from 4.43% to 2.04% over this period. White, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities all saw slight increases, with Hispanics experiencing the largest growth at 47.62%. Notably, the percentage of Desai individuals identifying as Black grew by 28.00%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a 17.86% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 91.72% | 93.75% | 2.21% |
| White | 2.9% | 2.95% | 1.72% |
| Two or More Races | 4.43% | 2.04% | -53.95% |
| Hispanic | 0.42% | 0.62% | 47.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.28% | 0.33% | 17.86% |
| Black | 0.25% | 0.32% | 28% |
Desai 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 Desai is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 62.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Gujarati Patidar (14.7%) and Southern Indian Subgroup (5.7%). Additional ancestries include Southern Indian & Sri Lankan, British & Irish, French & German, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 62.7% |
| Gujarati Patidar | 14.7% |
| Southern Indian Subgroup | 5.7% |
| Other | 16.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Desai
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 Desai have recent ancestry locations in India and United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra, India | 32.50% |
| Gujarat, India | 32.20% |
| Karnataka, India | 14.30% |
| Kerala, India | 13.60% |
| Punjab, India | 12.60% |
What Desai 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 Desai is R-Y6, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y6 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include J-M241 and L-M27, which are predominantly found among people with European and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hussain, Kumar, Mehta, Sharma, Patel, Nair, Rao, Ahmed, Ahmad, Malik.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Desai surname are: M, U7, M30. These most commonly trace back to individuals of Central & South Asian and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent
While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.
What do people with the surname Desai 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.
"Desai" Surname 55.4%
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.
"Desai" Surname 25.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Desai" Surname 18.7%
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.
"Desai" Surname 5.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Desai?
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 Desai are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition