Explore the Family Name Felix
The meaning of Felix
Spanish and French (Félix); Portuguese, English, German, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a medieval personal name meaning ‘happy, lucky, fortunate’ from Latin felix. The Latin form of the male name is Felix. This was a relatively common Roman surname, said to have been first adopted as a nickname by Sulla. It was very popular among early Christians and was borne by a large number of early saints. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Manuel, Juan, Jesus, Francisco, Luis, Ramon, Raul, Carlos, Pedro, Rafael, Mario.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Felix in the United States?
The surname Felix has seen a rise in popularity according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it was ranked 1,011th and by 2010, it had surged to the 863rd spot — an increase of 14.64%. The number of individuals with this surname also saw substantial growth during the same period, jumping from 31,631 in 2000 to 40,165 in 2010, marking a 26.98% increase. This growth is reflected in the increased proportion per 100,000 people, which went up from 11.73 in 2000 to 13.62 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,011 | #863 | 14.64% |
| Count | 31,631 | 40,165 | 26.98% |
| Proportion per 100k | 11.73 | 13.62 | 16.11% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Felix
As for the ethnicity associated with the surname Felix, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some notable shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest ethnic group identified with this surname is Hispanic, which grew from 62.35% to 66.29% over the decade. Meanwhile, the proportion of those identifying as White with the surname decreased from 21.19% to 17.5%. There was also a slight increase in the Black community, growing from 11.15% to 11.56%. Individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander descent made up a smaller proportion but saw a modest increase from 2.61% to 2.8%. The percentage of those identifying with two or more races significantly dropped from 1.73% to 0.96%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native representation also slightly decreased.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 62.35% | 66.29% | 6.32% |
| White | 21.19% | 17.5% | -17.41% |
| Black | 11.15% | 11.56% | 3.68% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.61% | 2.8% | 7.28% |
| Two or More Races | 1.73% | 0.96% | -44.51% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.97% | 0.89% | -8.25% |
Felix 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 Felix is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 27.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (17.0%) and Indigenous American (16.6%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Nigerian, Italian, Filipino & Austronesian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 27.8% |
| British & Irish | 17.0% |
| Indigenous American | 16.6% |
| Other | 38.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Felix
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 Felix have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Nayarit, Mexico | 44.70% |
| Guanajuato, Mexico | 44.70% |
| Nuevo Leon, Mexico | 44.70% |
| Sinaloa, Mexico | 44.70% |
| Michoacan, Mexico | 44.70% |
What Felix 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 Felix 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 J-L210 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Marquez, Cabrera, Santos, Silva, Romero, Blanco, Miller, Medina, Leon, Ventura.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Felix surname are: A2, H, B2. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Felix 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.
"Felix" Surname 35.0%
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.
"Felix" Surname 30.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Felix" Surname 21.9%
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.
"Felix" Surname 16.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Felix?
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 Felix are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition