Explore the Family Name Goncalves

The meaning of Goncalves

Portuguese (Gonçálves): patronymic from the personal name Gonçalo (see Gonzalo). Compare Gonsalves. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Manuel, Carlos, Fernando, Luis, Domingos, Jorge, Ana, Jaime, Francisco, Alfredo, Armando. Portuguese Joao, Joaquim, Paulo, Sebastiao, Albano, Catarina, Duarte, Henrique, Marcio, Martinho, Serafim, Terezinha.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Goncalves has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. It moved from rank 5379 in 2000 to 4437 in 2010, indicating an increase of 17.51%. Moreover, the count of individuals carrying this surname rose by 34.25%, with a total of 8,000 people in 2010 compared to 5,959 in 2000. The proportion of the population having this surname per 100k also increased by 22.62%.

20002010Change
Rank#5,379#4,43717.51%
Count5,9598,00034.25%
Proportion per 100k2.212.7122.62%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Goncalves

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Goncalves also changed significantly during this period according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. A considerable rise was observed in the percentages of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, growing by 1500.00% and 264.07% respectively. There was a slight increase in those identifying as White (7.88%) and Hispanic (2.51%). The percentage of those identifying with two or more races saw a significant decrease (-91.60%), along with a moderate increase in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category (60.00%).

20002010Change
White69.56%75.04%7.88%
Black3.98%14.49%264.07%
Hispanic7.18%7.36%2.51%
Two or More Races19.05%1.6%-91.6%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.08%1.28%1500%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.15%0.24%60%

Goncalves 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 Goncalves is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 71.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Italian (5.0%) and British & Irish (4.0%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Indigenous American, Senegambian & Guinean, Eastern European, and Angolan & Congolese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Spanish & Portuguese71.0%
Italian5.0%
British & Irish4.0%
Other20.0%
Goncalves

Possible origins of the surname Goncalves

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 Goncalves have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and Brazil.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Azores, Portugal80.90%
Madeira, Portugal80.50%
Lisbon, Portugal79.40%
Aveiro District, Portugal76.50%
Porto District, Portugal75.00%

What Goncalves 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 Goncalves 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-Z198, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ribeiro, Alves, Martins, Lopes, Tavares, Teixeira, Carvalho, Souza, Almeida, Pereira.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Goncalves surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

goncalvesPaternal 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 Goncalves 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

Goncalves

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Goncalves" Surname 38.8%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Goncalves

Misophonia

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

"Goncalves" Surname 37.3%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Goncalves

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Goncalves" Surname 18.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Goncalves

Migraine

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

"Goncalves" Surname 16.6%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Goncalves?

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 Goncalves 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%