Explore the Family Name Hsiao
The meaning of Hsiao
Chinese: variant of Xiao. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Ting, Chih, Ching, Chien, Ping, Chan, Chao, Chen, Cheng, Chi, Chi Hung, Chia-Wei.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hsiao in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Hsiao has seen a rise in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 12,799th in frequency but by 2010, it had climbed to the 11,751st spot, indicating an increase of 8.19%. The count of people with the Hsiao surname also increased during this period, from 2208 in 2000 to 2666 in 2010, marking a growth of 20.74%. Similarly, the proportion per 100,000 people grew by 9.76%, from 0.82 in 2000 to 0.9 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,799 | #11,751 | 8.19% |
| Count | 2,208 | 2,666 | 20.74% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.82 | 0.9 | 9.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hsiao
The ethnicity associated with the surname Hsiao is predominantly Asian/Pacific Islander, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. This group accounted for 95.83% in 2000, slightly reducing to 94.97% in 2010. Of note is that there was a small percentage of individuals identifying with two or more races, which increased from 2.72% to 2.93% over the decade. A small portion identifies as White, which saw a significant increase from 1.27% in 2000 to 1.80% in 2010. The categories Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native registered minimal to no representation for this surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 95.83% | 94.97% | -0.9% |
| Two or More Races | 2.72% | 2.93% | 7.72% |
| White | 1.27% | 1.8% | 41.73% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0.23% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Hsiao 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 Hsiao is Chinese, which comprises 90.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (3.3%) and French & German (1.6%). Additional ancestries include Korean, Filipino & Austronesian, Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma, Central Asian, and Chinese Dai.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 90.3% |
| British & Irish | 3.3% |
| French & German | 1.6% |
| Other | 4.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Hsiao
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 Hsiao have recent ancestry locations in Taiwan and China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Taipei, Taiwan | 81.90% |
| Guangdong, China | 79.50% |
| Shanghai, China | 79.50% |
| Jiangsu, China | 78.30% |
| Hunan, China | 77.10% |
What Hsiao 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 Hsiao is O-M307.1, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-M307.1 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F8 and R-Z93, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Xue, Tsui, Diep, Vuong, Ta, Chai, To, Siu, Chong, Kuo.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hsiao surname are: B5a, B4, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese
Haplogroup O1a is a branch of O-M119, also called O1a. O-M119 and its branches are present in both northern and southern Han Chinese men at low to moderate frequencies, but are most common among the Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang southern Han groups. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north. Members of O-M119 belong to a group that has helped to shape the culture of the world's largest ethnic group.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han
Members of haplogroups B4 and B5 are quite frequent in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, centered in Zhongyuan, China's Central Plain. The spread of Han people, language and culture from northern to southern China only occurred in the last 2,000 years, and was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.
What do people with the surname Hsiao 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
Vanilla Ice Cream
Prefers vanilla flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Hsiao" Surname 50.0%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Hsiao" Surname 37.5%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hsiao?
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 Hsiao are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition