Explore the Family Name Faber
The meaning of Faber
German, Dutch, French (Alsace and Lorraine), and Danish; Slovak and Czech (mainly Fáber): occupational name from Latin faber ‘blacksmith’. At the time of the Reformation, it was much used as a humanistic name, a translation into Latin of vernacular surnames such as German Schmidt and Dutch Smit. Compare Fabri and Fauber. History: In North America, this surname was originally also part of a title. It was François Lefebvre, sieur Duplessis Faber from Paris, France, whose title sieur Duplessis Faber was shortened into the surname Faber. He married Marie-Madeleine Chorel in Champlain, QC, in 1689.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Faber in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Faber saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 3260th most popular surname in the United States with 10,061 individuals bearing this name. However, by 2010, its rank had dropped to 3555 even though the number of people with the Faber surname remained largely unchanged at 10,039. This represented a nominal decrease of 0.22% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,260 | #3,555 | -9.05% |
| Count | 10,061 | 10,039 | -0.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.73 | 3.4 | -8.85% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Faber
In terms of ethnic identity, the Faber surname is most prevalent among those identifying as White, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, approximately 94.22% of Fabers identified as White, although this figure slightly decreased to 93.27% by 2010. Simultaneously, there were notable increases in the proportions of Fabers identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native within the same period. For instance, the percentage of Fabers identifying as Hispanic increased from 1.39% in 2000 to 1.71% in 2010, representing a change of 23.02%. Similarly, those identifying as Black also rose from 1.92% to 2.34%, an increase of 21.87%. The proportion of Fabers identifying as more than one race remained almost stable, showing a minimal decrease of 0.95% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.22% | 93.27% | -1.01% |
| Black | 1.92% | 2.34% | 21.87% |
| Hispanic | 1.39% | 1.71% | 23.02% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.94% | 1.08% | 14.89% |
| Two or More Races | 1.05% | 1.04% | -0.95% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.48% | 0.57% | 18.75% |
Faber 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 Faber is French & German, which comprises 36.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (28.0%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (9.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 36.3% |
| British & Irish | 28.0% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 9.3% |
| Other | 26.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Faber
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 Faber have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 66.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 66.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 66.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 64.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 64.90% |
What Faber 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 Faber is R-L48, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L48 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-Z198, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lang, Sands, Smith, Zimmer, Mueller, George, Miller, Kline, Keller, Hill.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Faber surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
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 Faber 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.
"Faber" Surname 48.3%
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.
"Faber" Surname 25.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Faber" Surname 18.5%
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.
"Faber" Surname 14.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Faber?
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 Faber are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition