Explore the Family Name Fernandes
The meaning of Fernandes
1. Portuguese and Galician: patronymic from the personal name Fernando. This is one of the most common surnames in Portugal. It is also found in Goa and elsewhere on the west coast of India, having been taken there by Portuguese colonists. 2. Spanish: variant or altered form of Fernández (see Fernandez). 3. Jewish (Sephardic): Portuguese surname (see 1 above), adopted at the moment of conversion to Roman Catholicism. After the return to Judaism (generations later), some descendants retained the name their families used as Catholics. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Carlos, Luis, Fernando, Jorge, Mario, Francisco, Orlando, Ana, Abilio, Americo. Portuguese Joao, Joaquim, Henrique, Ilidio, Paulo, Agostinho, Amadeu, Manoel, Aderito, Lourenco, Marcio, Serafim.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fernandes in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Fernandes in the United States saw a significant increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Fernandes was ranked 2305th most popular surname in the country but jumped to 2007th by 2010, showing a rank change of 12.93%. Furthermore, the count of individuals with this surname also grew from 14,385 to 18,018 in the same period, marking an increase of 25.26%. The proportion of the Fernandes surname per 100k people in the US population rose from 5.33 to 6.11, which is a 14.63% growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,305 | #2,007 | 12.93% |
| Count | 14,385 | 18,018 | 25.26% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.33 | 6.11 | 14.63% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fernandes
The ethnicity breakdown for the surname Fernandes as per the Decennial U.S. Census shows interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased significantly from 9.27% to 13.78%, a change of 48.65%. Whereas, those identifying with two or more races saw a sharp decrease, dropping from 13.24% to 3.56%, a decline of 73.11%. Individuals identifying as White remained fairly constant at around 60%. Hispanic identified Fernandes saw a slight reduction of 3.31%. Interestingly, individuals who identify as Black with the surname Fernandes nearly doubled from 5.12% to 10.13%, a 97.85% increase. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category noted a modest growth from 0.34% to 0.43%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 60.23% | 60.69% | 0.76% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 9.27% | 13.78% | 48.65% |
| Hispanic | 11.8% | 11.41% | -3.31% |
| Black | 5.12% | 10.13% | 97.85% |
| Two or More Races | 13.24% | 3.56% | -73.11% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.34% | 0.43% | 26.47% |
Fernandes 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 Fernandes is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 48.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (12.6%) and Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (9.4%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Southern Indian Subgroup, Italian, Eastern European, and Senegambian & Guinean.
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 |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 48.2% |
| British & Irish | 12.6% |
| Southern Indian & Sri Lankan | 9.4% |
| Other | 29.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Fernandes
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 Fernandes have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Azores, Portugal | 57.50% |
| Madeira, Portugal | 57.20% |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 55.40% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 53.40% |
| Porto District, Portugal | 51.80% |
What Fernandes 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 Fernandes 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 E-M183 and R-L51, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pereira, Gomes, Souza, Ferreira, Rodrigues, Lopes, Costa, Almeida, Fernandez, Sousa.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Fernandes surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Fernandes 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.
"Fernandes" Surname 34.6%
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.
"Fernandes" Surname 38.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Fernandes" Surname 18.1%
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.
"Fernandes" Surname 14.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Fernandes?
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 Fernandes are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition