Explore the Family Name Dias
The meaning of Dias
1. Portuguese and Spanish: patronymic from the medieval personal name Didacus (genitive Didaci). Compare Diego. This surname is also common in the former Portuguese colony of Goa and elsewhere on the west coast of India, having been taken there by Portuguese settlers. 2. Welsh: variant of Dayus, from the personal name Deiws, a pet form of Dai or Dafydd, Welsh forms of David (see Day). In English counties bordering Wales Dayus and Dyos were sometimes shortened to Day(e)s and Deyes or altered to Dayhouse and Dyhouse, through false association with the words deyhouse, dayhouse ‘dairy’ or deyehouse, dyehouse ‘dye-works’, but there is no medieval evidence that this name derived from either word. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Carlos, Francisco, Jorge, Luis, Domingos, Mario, Pedro, Ana, Armando, Eduardo. Portuguese Joao, Paulo, Joaquim, Manoel, Henrique, Margarida, Albano, Batista, Guilherme, Ligia, Mateus, Sebastiao.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dias in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Dias has seen a steady rise from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, Dias was ranked the 2398th most common surname, which improved to the 2266th position in 2010, marking a progression of 5.5%. The count of individuals with this surname also increased significantly from 13,847 in 2000 to 16,044 in 2010, a surge of nearly 16%. This growth is reflected in the proportion per 100,000 people, which rose from 5.13 to 5.44 (an increase of 6.04%) over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,398 | #2,266 | 5.5% |
| Count | 13,847 | 16,044 | 15.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.13 | 5.44 | 6.04% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dias
Turning to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Dias, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows interesting shifts from 2000 to 2010. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, increasing slightly from 55.19% to 56.25%, there were notable changes among other ethnicities. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black saw significant increases of roughly 30% each. Conversely, there was a drastic decrease in those identifying with two or more races, dropping from 6.90% to 2.67%. Hispanic identification stayed relatively stable at around 28%, and there was a slight increase in American Indian and Alaskan Native identification from 0.35% to 0.45%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 55.19% | 56.25% | 1.92% |
| Hispanic | 28.24% | 28.58% | 1.2% |
| Black | 4.93% | 6.37% | 29.21% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.38% | 5.68% | 29.68% |
| Two or More Races | 6.9% | 2.67% | -61.3% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.45% | 28.57% |
Dias 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 Dias is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 46.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (16.8%) and French & German (7.7%). Additional ancestries include Southern Indian & Sri Lankan, Italian, Indigenous American, Eastern European, and Southern Indian Subgroup.
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 |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 46.2% |
| British & Irish | 16.8% |
| French & German | 7.7% |
| Other | 29.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Dias
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 Dias have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Madeira, Portugal | 56.00% |
| Azores, Portugal | 56.00% |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 53.70% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 52.20% |
| Porto District, Portugal | 49.80% |
What Dias 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 Dias 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-Z225 and R-L51, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Gomes, Ferreira, Rodrigues, Souza, Fernandes, Pereira, Costa, Almeida, Fernandez, Sousa.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dias surname are: A2, H1, 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 Dias 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.
"Dias" Surname 41.4%
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.
"Dias" Surname 31.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dias" 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.
"Dias" Surname 16.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dias?
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 Dias are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition