Explore the Family Name Gupta
The meaning of Gupta
Indian (northern states): Bania and Jain name, from Sanskrit gupta ‘hidden, secret, protected’. The clan bearing this name came to prominence in the 3rd century ad; at this time, they probably became known by this name because they lead lives shrouded in secrecy for political reasons. History: This is a well-known name of ancient India. The two greatest empires of ancient northern India were both founded by persons named Chandragupta (see also Chandra). The founder of the Maurya empire in the 4th century bc was Chandragupta Maurya. In the 4th century ad, the Gupta empire was founded by another Chandragupta, and a long line of Gupta kings ruled India for about 200 years. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Sanjay, Rakesh, Ajay, Vijay, Ashok, Anil, Sunil, Suresh, Ramesh, Raj, Sandeep, Satish.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gupta in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Gupta has seen an increase in popularity in the United States from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 3,172nd and by 2010, it had climbed to a ranking of 1,886 — a notable change of approximately 40.54%. The census count for the surname also rose significantly during this decade, from 10,376 in 2000 to 19,057 in 2010, showing an increase of 83.66%. Proportionally, for every 100,000 people, there were about 3.85 individuals with the surname Gupta in 2000, which increased to about 6.46 individuals in 2010 — a rise of 67.79%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,172 | #1,886 | 40.54% |
| Count | 10,376 | 19,057 | 83.66% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.85 | 6.46 | 67.79% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gupta
The Decennial U.S. Census data depicts a shift in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Gupta. A significant majority, over 90% of individuals with this surname, identified as Asian/Pacific Islander in both 2000 and 2010, with the percentage increasing slightly from 90.35% to 93.78%. Although a small proportion, those who identified as having two or more ethnicities decreased from 4.79% to 2.02%, while those identifying as White also observed a decrease from 3.99% to 3.14%. The Hispanic representation saw a slight increase from 0.41% to 0.48%, while the Black population reduced marginally from 0.29% to 0.26%. Interestingly, individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a nearly doubled increase from 0.16% to 0.31%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 90.35% | 93.78% | 3.8% |
| White | 3.99% | 3.14% | -21.3% |
| Two or More Races | 4.79% | 2.02% | -57.83% |
| Hispanic | 0.41% | 0.48% | 17.07% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.16% | 0.31% | 93.75% |
| Black | 0.29% | 0.26% | -10.34% |
Gupta 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 Gupta is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 75.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Bengali & Northeast Indian (7.4%) and Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (6.1%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, French & German, Southern Indian Subgroup, Eastern European, and Gujarati Patidar.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 75.8% |
| Bengali & Northeast Indian | 7.4% |
| Southern Indian & Sri Lankan | 6.1% |
| Other | 10.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Gupta
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 Gupta have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in India, and Pakistan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh, India | 23.00% |
| Punjab, Pakistan | 16.50% |
| Punjab, India | 15.70% |
| Gujarat, India | 13.10% |
| Rajasthan, India | 11.80% |
What Gupta 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 Gupta is H-M52, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup H-M52 is descended from haplogroup H-L901. Other common haplogroups include H-Z4417 and H-M2914, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Jain, Agrawal, Agarwal, Kumar, Shah, Hussain, Mehta, Gandhi, Das, Rao.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gupta surname are: U2, M30, M. These most commonly trace back to individuals of Central & South Asian and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins H-L901Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Markina Gora man
At an estimated 36,000 years old, the Markina Gora Skeleton is the second most ancient modern human to have his DNA fully sequenced. He was discovered in 1954 in southwest Russia, and recently analyzed to find clues about ancient European ancestry.This man is estimated to have been 20 to 25 years old, and at just below 5'2'' tall, he was short by modern standards. His DNA contained variants that suggested he had dark skin and brown eyes, and his skeletal features suggest he looked much like populations from tropical regions of the world, suggesting recent migration to the north. He also had more Neanderthal DNA than is found in Asians and Europeans today, which supports the hypothesis that humans mixed with Neanderthals early on in our history beyond Africa.
What do people with the surname Gupta 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.
"Gupta" Surname 33.0%
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.
"Gupta" Surname 36.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gupta" Surname 15.3%
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.
"Gupta" Surname 11.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gupta?
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 Gupta are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition