Explore the Family Name Farkas
The meaning of Farkas
1. Hungarian: from the old personal name Farkas, derived from farkas ‘wolf’. It is also a nickname derived from the same word. The surname Farkas is also found in Romania and Slovakia (see also 2 below). 2. Slovak, Czech, Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Rusyn (from Vojvodina in Serbia) (Farkaš): from a Slavicized form of Hungarian farkas ‘wolf’, used either as a nickname or a personal name; or, in part, an adaptation of the cognate Hungarian surname Farkas (see 1 above). 3. Jewish (from Hungary): translation of the Yiddish personal name Volf meaning ‘wolf’, or else an adoption of the Hungarian surname (see 1 above) as a Hungarian calque of the original surname Wolf. Some characteristic forenames: Hungarian Laszlo, Tibor, Attila, Sandor, Zoltan, Gabor, Geza, Janos, Istvan, Miklos, Bela, Csaba. Jewish Arie, Chaim, Moshe, Liat, Mayer, Zev, Ari, Asher, Eliezer, Faigy, Fishel, Mendel.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Farkas in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Farkas witnessed a minor decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the name dropped from 4874 to 5204, marking a decrease of 6.77%. However, the overall count of individuals with the Farkas surname slightly increased by 1.53%, from 6613 in 2000 to 6714 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people fell by 6.94% in this decade, indicating that while the number of people named Farkas increased, it did so at a slower rate than the growth of the total population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,874 | #5,204 | -6.77% |
| Count | 6,613 | 6,714 | 1.53% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.45 | 2.28 | -6.94% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Farkas
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Farkas saw considerable shifts between 2000 and 2010, as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of people with this last name identified as White, with a slight decrease of 0.50% over the decade. The Hispanic representation within this surname group saw the most substantial increase, rising by 49.15%. Similarly, the Black ethnicity under Farkas rose by 65.52%, albeit from a smaller base. Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities also saw increases of 31.71% and 35.71% respectively. Conversely, those identifying as two or more races saw a significant drop of 45.56% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.71% | 95.23% | -0.5% |
| Hispanic | 1.77% | 2.64% | 49.15% |
| Two or More Races | 1.69% | 0.92% | -45.56% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.54% | 31.71% |
| Black | 0.29% | 0.48% | 65.52% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.14% | 0.19% | 35.71% |
Farkas 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 Farkas is Eastern European, which comprises 23.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (22.4%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (19.7%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Greek & Balkan, Italian, Scandinavian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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 |
|---|---|
| Eastern European | 23.8% |
| British & Irish | 22.4% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 19.7% |
| Other | 34.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Farkas
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 Farkas have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 44.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 44.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 44.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 43.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 43.80% |
What Farkas 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 Farkas is R-M417, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M417 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include I-S17250 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nagy, Toth, Varga, Schmidt, Urban, Hoffman, Richter, Horvath, Hoffmann, Bauer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Farkas surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Farkas 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.
"Farkas" 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.
"Farkas" Surname 39.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Farkas" Surname 25.0%
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.
"Farkas" Surname 14.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Farkas?
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 Farkas are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition