Explore the Family Name Garofalo
The meaning of Garofalo
Italian (southern): from garofalo ‘carnation’, from Greek karyophyllon, standard Italian garofano. This is presumably a nickname for one who habitually sported a carnation, a topographic name for someone who lived where carnations grew, or a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of these flowers. Compare Garofano and Garofolo. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Mario, Sal, Carmine, Gasper, Alfonso, Giovanni, Santo, Antonino, Antonio, Camillo, Domenic, Fausto, Fernando, Roberto, Rosario.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Garofalo in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Garofalo saw a slight drop in popularity from 2000 to 2010. The ranking of this surname fell by 3.32%, moving from the 6360th most popular surname in the year 2000 to the 6571st most common surname in 2010. Despite this decrease in rank, there was an increase in the count of people with the surname Garofalo during that decade. The numbers rose from 4927 in 2000 to 5152 in 2010, marking a 4.57% growth. However, when we look at the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a minor decrease of 4.37% between these two years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,360 | #6,571 | -3.32% |
| Count | 4,927 | 5,152 | 4.57% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.83 | 1.75 | -4.37% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Garofalo
In terms of ethnicity based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority of individuals with the last name Garofalo identify as White, though there was a slight decrease from 96.00% in 2000 to 94.02% in 2010. There was a significant increase in those identifying as Hispanic, with a rise from 2.39% in 2000 to 4.56% in 2010, representing a change of 90.79%. However, the number of people identifying as Two or more races decreased by 31.67%. In 2010, some individuals began to identify as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native, where none had identified as such in 2000. Lastly, the percentage of people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander remained fairly stable, increasing slightly from 0.24% in 2000 to 0.25% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96% | 94.02% | -2.06% |
| Hispanic | 2.39% | 4.56% | 90.79% |
| Two or More Races | 1.2% | 0.82% | -31.67% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.24% | 0.25% | 4.17% |
| Black | 0% | 0.21% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.14% | 0% |
Garofalo 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 Garofalo is Italian, which comprises 46.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (21.5%) and French & German (10.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Italian | 46.6% |
| British & Irish | 21.5% |
| French & German | 10.6% |
| Other | 21.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Garofalo
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 Garofalo have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Sicily, Italy | 77.90% |
| Calabria, Italy | 76.60% |
| Campania, Italy | 76.60% |
| Apulia, Italy | 72.40% |
| Abruzzo, Italy | 66.90% |
What Garofalo 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 Garofalo is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include G-L30 and J-L26, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Laub, Day, Gross, Leo, Albano, Rizzo, Testa, Epstein, Hauser, Engel.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Garofalo 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 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 Garofalo 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.
"Garofalo" Surname 29.3%
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.
"Garofalo" Surname 28.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Garofalo" Surname 16.2%
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.
"Garofalo" Surname 13.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Garofalo?
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 Garofalo are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition