Explore the Family Name Hua

The meaning of Hua

1. Hawaiian: unexplained. 2. Vietnamese (Hứa): from the Chinese surname 許, see Xu 2. 3. Chinese: Mandarin form (also Hokkien or Teochew form) of the surname 華, meaning ‘prosperous, splendid’ or a short form for China: (i) possibly from Hua (華), the name of a hill (located in Shaanxi province), also called West Yue, possibly dating back to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) from the placename Hua (華), the name of a fief (located in Huayang County in Shaanxi province) granted to Kao Fu, son of Duke Dai of Song (ruler of the state of Song, reigned 799–766 BC). 4. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 花, meaning ‘flowers’ in Chinese: (i) possibly adopted in place of the Chinese surname 華, see 1 above. (ii) adopted in place of the surname Fan (范) by Fan Yongji during the Jin dynasty (1115–1234 AD). 5. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 滑, meaning ‘slippery’ in Chinese: from Hua (滑), the name of a state (located in Yanshi in Henan province). After the state was annexed by the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), the name of the state was adopted as a surname. 6. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 化, meaning ‘to change’ in Chinese: said to be traced back to Hua Hu (化狐), an official during the reign of the legendary emperor Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc) or Hua Yi (化益, also known as Bo Yi), a legendary talent during the reign of Emperor Yao (c.24th century bc). 7. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 許, see Xu 2. 8. Chinese: Hokkien form of the surname 和, see He 3. 9. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 潘, see Pan 1. Some characteristic forenames: Vietnamese Minh, Hung, Quang, Cuong, Khanh, Sinh, Tanh, Trung, Thanh, Huy, Ngoc, Phat, Son, Tri. Chinese Hua, Tuong, Jian, Ming, Wei, Chi, Fang, Cheng, Chin, Dong Keun, Hui, Lei, Li, Min, Phong, Tam, Tinh, Chung, Hoa Kim, Jih, Sa, Sha.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Hua grew in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 6005th most common surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 5052nd spot, marking a 15.87% change. The number of individuals with this surname also increased during this period from 5,280 to 6,939, which translates to a 31.42% increase. Correspondingly, the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 individuals also saw a notable rise of 19.9%.

20002010Change
Rank#6,005#5,05215.87%
Count5,2806,93931.42%
Proportion per 100k1.962.3519.9%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hua

When considering ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the Hua surname identify predominantly as Asian/Pacific Islander. Between 2000 and 2010, this group expanded from representing 94.53% to 96.34% of all individuals with this surname, witnessing a growth of 1.91%. The data also indicates an increase in those identifying as belonging to two or more races, going up from 1.36% to 1.44%. However, the percentage of individuals identifying as White or Hispanic decreased during this time. There were no individuals with the Hua surname who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander94.53%96.34%1.91%
White2.67%1.48%-44.57%
Two or More Races1.36%1.44%5.88%
Hispanic0.93%0.55%-40.86%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%

Hua 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 Hua is Chinese, which comprises 71.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Vietnamese (20.3%) and Korean (1.6%). Additional ancestries include Chinese Dai, French & German, Italian, Manchurian & Mongolian, and British & Irish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Chinese71.3%
Vietnamese20.3%
Korean1.6%
Other6.8%
Hua

Possible origins of the surname Hua

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 Hua have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in China, and Vietnam.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Guangdong, China53.10%
Fujian, China51.40%
Zhejiang, China51.40%
Shandong, China51.40%
Shanghai, China50.80%

What Hua 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 Hua is O-F8, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F8 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F11 and O-F46, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hsu, Hsieh, Yao, Tsai, Cai, Lu, Shen, Xu, Su, Yuan.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hua surname are: M, F1a1, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.

huaPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese

Haplogroup O-Page23 has been found in several populations of the Han Chinese ethnic group. The ancestors of the Han, called the Huaxia, lived in the upriver basin of the Yellow River 5,000-6,000 years ago. As agricultural technology improved, the Huaxia spread east and south, and became the Han Chinese. Over the last 2,000 years, there have been three major migrations of the Han southward. The first of these migrations occurred during the Jin Dynasty from 317 to 420 CE, when nearly one million people moved south. A second migration occurred during the Tang Dynasty, after the An-Shi Rebellion, between 755 and 762 CE. The last migration occurred during the Southern Song Dynasty, from 1127 to 1297 CE, when nearly 5 million people migrated southward. The Pinghua, a branch of Han in which haplogroup O2a2b1a1 is particularly common, may be descendants of indigenous minority groups that adopted Han culture during one such major migration event.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent

While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Hua 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

Hua

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Hua" Surname 18.9%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Hua

Cheek Dimples

Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.

"Hua" Surname 24.0%

23andMe Users 37.6%

Habits

Hua

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Hua" Surname 15.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Hua

Migraine

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

"Hua" Surname 8.9%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Hua?

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 Hua are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

ε4 variant

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and personality changes. Late-onset Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of Alzheimer's disease, developing after age 65. Many factors, including genetics, can influence a person's chances of developing the condition. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the most common genetic variant associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease: the ε4 variant in the APOE gene. Learn more about Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

Chinese 18.2%

23andMe Users 25.5%