Explore the Family Name Escobar

The meaning of Escobar

Spanish: topographic name for someone who lived in a place overgrown with broom, from a collective form of escoba ‘broom’ (from Late Latin scopa); or a habitational name from any of the various places called with this word, as for example Escobar de Campos (León), Escobar de Polendos (Segovia), and three minor places in Murcia. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Carlos, Manuel, Juan, Luis, Jorge, Miguel, Francisco, Mario, Ana, Jesus, Raul.

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

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

The surname "Escobar" saw a marked increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The rank of this surname jumped from 723 to 520, a change of 28.08%. This rise is mirrored in the count of individuals bearing this name in the United States, which grew from 42,955 in 2000 to 64,403 in 2010, marking an impressive increase of nearly 50%. Consequently, the proportion of Escobars per 100,000 people in the country also rose by 37.12%.

20002010Change
Rank#723#52028.08%
Count42,95564,40349.93%
Proportion per 100k15.9221.8337.12%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Escobar

In terms of ethnic identity, a majority of individuals with the last name "Escobar" identified as Hispanic in both 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In fact, the percentage of Escobars identifying as Hispanic increased slightly over this period, from 90.56% to 92.44%. The second most common ethnicity among Escobars was White, although the percentage decreased from 6.32% to 5.17% during this decade. Meanwhile, the percentages of Escobars identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian/Alaskan Native also diminished. There was also a significant reduction in the percentage of those identifying as two or more races, down by 51.85%.

20002010Change
Hispanic90.56%92.44%2.08%
White6.32%5.17%-18.2%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.83%1.55%-15.3%
Black0.46%0.41%-10.87%
Two or More Races0.54%0.26%-51.85%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.29%0.18%-37.93%

Escobar 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 Escobar is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 41.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (31.4%) and British & Irish (8.7%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Filipino & Austronesian, Senegambian & Guinean, Eastern European, 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 BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Spanish & Portuguese41.2%
Indigenous American31.4%
British & Irish8.7%
Other18.7%
Escobar

Possible origins of the surname Escobar

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 Escobar have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Coahuila, Mexico47.10%
Mexico City, Mexico47.10%
Jalisco, Mexico47.10%
Zacatecas, Mexico47.10%
Durango, Mexico47.10%

What Escobar 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 Escobar 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 Q-M3 and R-M167, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Gutierrez, Herrera, Torres, Ruiz, Delgado, Ayala, Lara, Vargas, Ibarra, Rojas.

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

escobarPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to some of the first Americans

Though the Ice Age was beginning to retreat when your A2 ancestors first entered North America, there were still massive barriers blocking their way. Glaciers and inhospitable climate covered much of the continent, blocking entry into the interior. Nonetheless, researchers have found evidence that a wave of American founders migrated over 13,000 kilometers to reach southern Chile in only 2,000 years, a blink of an eye in the story of human migration! Their highway to the south was the coast of the Pacific, stocked with fish, diverse marine mammals, and other valuable resources in the rich kelp forests of the upper latitudes and in the abundant fresh-water rivers near the equator. Because of this rapid movement south, the A2 haplogroup and its diverse branches are found throughout North and South America.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Escobar 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

Escobar

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Escobar" Surname 37.1%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Escobar

Misophonia

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

"Escobar" Surname 30.4%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Escobar

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Escobar" Surname 19.8%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Escobar

Migraine

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

"Escobar" Surname 14.0%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Escobar?

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 Escobar 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%