Explore the Family Name Goldfarb

The meaning of Goldfarb

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name composed of German Gold ‘gold’ + Farbe ‘color’. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Hyman, Emanuel, Aron, Aviva, Isadore, Ari, Avi, Ber, Meyer, Moishe, Moshe.

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

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

The surname Goldfarb, based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, has seen a decrease in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Goldfarb was ranked 8528th in terms of popularity with a count of 3559 bearers. The proportion per 100k at that time was 1.32. By 2010, its rank had fallen to 9347, representing a change of -9.6%. The total count reduced slightly to 3480, marking a change of -2.22%, while the proportion per 100k also declined to 1.18—a drop of 10.61%.

20002010Change
Rank#8,528#9,347-9.6%
Count3,5593,480-2.22%
Proportion per 100k1.321.18-10.61%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Goldfarb

In regards to ethnicity, again according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there have been some shifts in the ten-year period from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the majority of those bearing the Goldfarb surname identified as White, with a percentage of 97.13%; this figure dipped slightly to 96.29% by 2010. There were also small populations identifying with the Asian/Pacific Islander and Black ethnic identities, but these figures either remained unchanged or saw an increase. Perhaps most notably, there was a significant rise in those identifying as Hispanic within this group—up 42.70% from 1.85% in 2000 to 2.64% in 2010. Those reporting two or more races dropped by 22.39%, and there were no recorded instances of American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identity among individuals with this surname for both years.

20002010Change
White97.13%96.29%-0.86%
Hispanic1.85%2.64%42.7%
Two or More Races0.67%0.52%-22.39%
Black0.14%0.23%64.29%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.2%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%

Goldfarb 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 Goldfarb is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 67.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (11.5%) and French & German (6.9%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, and Spanish & Portuguese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Ashkenazi Jewish67.6%
British & Irish11.5%
French & German6.9%
Other14.1%
Goldfarb

Possible origins of the surname Goldfarb

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 Goldfarb have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom29.30%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom29.30%
West Midlands, United Kingdom29.30%
Merseyside, United Kingdom29.30%
Greater London, United Kingdom29.30%

What Goldfarb 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 Goldfarb 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-L29 and J-CTS5368, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Edelman, Fried, Freedman, Weinberg, Lieberman, Hassan, Kantor, Lerner, Berkowitz, Schwartz.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Goldfarb surname are: K1a1b1a, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

goldfarbPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your 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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Goldfarb 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

Goldfarb

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Goldfarb" Surname 50.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Goldfarb

Misophonia

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

"Goldfarb" Surname 26.5%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Goldfarb

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Goldfarb" Surname 15.8%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Goldfarb

Migraine

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

"Goldfarb" Surname 17.2%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Goldfarb?

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 Goldfarb 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

Ashkenazi Jewish 57.0%

23andMe Users 57.2%