Explore the Family Name Fuentes

The meaning of Fuentes

Spanish: topographic name from the plural of fuente ‘spring, well’ (see Fuente), or a habitational name from any of numerous places called with fuentes, as for example Fuentes (Cuenca, Albacete, and Segovia provinces), Fuentes Calientes (Teruel), Fuentes de León (Badajoz), Fuentes de Valdepero (Palencia). Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Juan, Carlos, Francisco, Luis, Manuel, Jesus, Miguel, Pedro, Ruben, Jorge, Julio.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Fuentes in the United States?

According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Fuentes" has increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Fuentes was ranked as the 530th most common surname, but by 2010, it moved up significantly to the 394th position, indicating a rise in popularity of approximately 25.66%. The overall count of people with this surname also surged during this period, from 56,441 in 2000 to 81,006 in 2010, marking an increase of 43.52%. The proportion per 100k people also swelled from 20.92 in 2000 to 27.46 in 2010, showing a growth rate of 31.26%.

20002010Change
Rank#530#39425.66%
Count56,44181,00643.52%
Proportion per 100k20.9227.4631.26%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fuentes

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Fuentes. In 2000, a vast majority, 91.52%, identified as Hispanic, which slightly increased to 93.24% in 2010. Those identifying as White decreased from 5.76% in 2000 to 4.56% in 2010. There were minor changes among those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and individuals of two or more races. The percentage of Fuentes identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander slightly dipped from 1.47% to 1.31%, while those identifying as Black fell from 0.49% to 0.41%. The percentage of individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also declined from 0.27% to 0.19%, whereas those identifying as two or more races saw the sharpest decrease from 0.49% to 0.29% over the decade.

20002010Change
Hispanic91.52%93.24%1.88%
White5.76%4.56%-20.83%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.47%1.31%-10.88%
Black0.49%0.41%-16.33%
Two or More Races0.49%0.29%-40.82%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.27%0.19%-29.63%

Fuentes 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 Fuentes is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 42.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (28.9%) and British & Irish (8.9%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Italian, Filipino & Austronesian, Senegambian & Guinean, and Eastern European.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Spanish & Portuguese42.0%
Indigenous American28.9%
British & Irish8.9%
Other20.1%
Fuentes

Possible origins of the surname Fuentes

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 Fuentes have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Tamaulipas, Mexico49.90%
Durango, Mexico49.90%
Guerrero, Mexico49.90%
Coahuila, Mexico49.90%
Chihuahua, Mexico49.90%

What Fuentes 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 Fuentes 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 Q-M3 and R-Z214, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ruiz, Medina, Garcia, Lopez, Perez, Sanchez, Herrera, Castillo, Molina, Gonzales.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Fuentes surname are: A2, B2, D1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

fuentesPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your 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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Fuentes 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

Fuentes

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Fuentes" Surname 38.5%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Fuentes

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Fuentes" Surname 41.1%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Fuentes

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Fuentes" Surname 23.1%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Fuentes

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Fuentes" Surname 15.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Fuentes?

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 Fuentes are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Spanish & Portuguese 56.3%

23andMe Users 57.2%