Explore the Family Name Farah
The meaning of Farah
1. Arabic: from a personal name based on faraḥ ‘joy, happiness, delight’. Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians. Compare Fara, Farra, and Farrah. 2. Somali: from the personal name Farah, a cognate of 1 above. It is also found in Ethiopia. — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. 3. English: possibly a variant of Farrar. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Abdi, Abdulkadir, Ahmed, Aziz, Charbel, Ibrahim, Mohamed, Omar, Samir, Yacoub, Zahra, Abdirashid.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Farah in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Farah has significantly increased in the United States over a decade. In 2000, it was ranked 7792 but rose to 5203 in 2010, a change of 33.23%. Additionally, the count of individuals with this surname grew from 3934 to 6718, a striking surge of 70.77% within the same period. The proportion of people named Farah per 100k also increased by 56.16%, moving from 1.46 to 2.28.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,792 | #5,203 | 33.23% |
| Count | 3,934 | 6,718 | 70.77% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.46 | 2.28 | 56.16% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Farah
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Farah has seen some shifts between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. White individuals represented the majority of those with the Farah surname in 2000, but this percentage dropped by 26.44% by 2010. Meanwhile, there was a significant rise of over 105% among Black individuals bearing the name. The Asian/Pacific Islander population with this surname saw a moderate increase of 11.80%. However, those identifying with two or more races decreased dramatically by over 80%. The Hispanic group also saw a decrease of nearly 13%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native representation doubled, although they remain a small fraction of those with the Farah surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 23.51% | 48.33% | 105.57% |
| White | 57.27% | 42.13% | -26.44% |
| Hispanic | 5.64% | 4.91% | -12.94% |
| Two or More Races | 11.62% | 2.28% | -80.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.78% | 1.99% | 11.8% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.18% | 0.36% | 100% |
Farah 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 Farah is Levantine, which comprises 34.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Somali (19.7%) and British & Irish (9.5%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Spanish & Portuguese, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, Eastern European, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Levantine | 34.5% |
| Somali | 19.7% |
| British & Irish | 9.5% |
| Other | 36.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Farah
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 Farah have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Lebanon, and Syria.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Beirut Governorate, Lebanon | 46.60% |
| Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon | 45.90% |
| Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon | 45.90% |
| North Governorate, Lebanon | 45.90% |
| South Governorate, Lebanon | 45.90% |
What Farah 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 Farah is E-V32, which is predominantly found among people with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Haplogroup E-V32 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include J-CTS5368 and J-L26, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Omar, Mohamed, Ibrahim, Hassan, Said, Hussein, Saleh, Osman, Ismail, Salem.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Farah surname are: H1, H, L2a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96Your 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 Farah 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.
"Farah" Surname 50.0%
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.
"Farah" Surname 42.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Farah" Surname 20.5%
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.
"Farah" Surname 8.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Farah?
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 Farah are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition