Explore the Family Name Garay
The meaning of Garay
1. Basque: Castilianized form of Garai, a habitational name from any of several places in Biscay named Garai, from Basque garai ‘high’, a derivative of gara ‘height, peak’. 2. Hungarian: habitational name for someone from a place called Gara. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Carlos, Juan, Luis, Javier, Manuel, Jesus, Francisco, Julio, Raul, Ana, Cesar.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Garay in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Garay has grown in popularity over the last decade. In 2000, it was ranked as the 3,236th most popular surname and by 2010, it had moved up to the 2,515th position. This represents a 22.28% increase in ranking. The number of individuals with this surname also increased from 10,142 in 2000 to 14,393 in 2010 – a significant growth of 41.91%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Garay per 100,000 residents increased by 29.79%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,236 | #2,515 | 22.28% |
| Count | 10,142 | 14,393 | 41.91% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.76 | 4.88 | 29.79% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Garay
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the surname Garay identify as Hispanic. In 2000, 85.65% of individuals with this surname identified as Hispanic, and this figure saw a marginal increase to 87.92% by 2010. The representation of other ethnic identities among those named Garay saw some shifts between 2000 and 2010. There was a slight increase of 9.85% in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, while the percentage of those identifying as White decreased by 16.25%. People identifying as belonging to two or more races experienced a drop of 62.16%, and there was a smaller decrease of 9.41% in the Black category. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group also decreased by 25.00% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 85.65% | 87.92% | 2.65% |
| White | 11.32% | 9.48% | -16.25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.32% | 1.45% | 9.85% |
| Black | 0.85% | 0.77% | -9.41% |
| Two or More Races | 0.74% | 0.28% | -62.16% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.12% | 0.09% | -25% |
Garay 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 Garay is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 37.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (26.2%) and British & Irish (9.3%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, and Senegambian & Guinean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 37.1% |
| Indigenous American | 26.2% |
| British & Irish | 9.3% |
| Other | 27.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Garay
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 Garay have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Aguascalientes, Mexico | 43.80% |
| Mexico City, Mexico | 43.80% |
| Zacatecas, Mexico | 43.80% |
| Veracruz, Mexico | 43.80% |
| Tamaulipas, Mexico | 43.80% |
What Garay 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 Garay 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 E-M180, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bonilla, Guevara, Paredes, Rangel, Lara, Moreno, Munoz, Chacon, Campos, Garcia.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Garay 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 Garay 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.
"Garay" Surname 31.4%
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.
"Garay" Surname 28.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Garay" Surname 23.0%
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.
"Garay" Surname 14.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Garay?
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 Garay are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition