Explore the Family Name Iqbal

The meaning of Iqbal

Muslim (mainly the Indian subcontinent): from a personal name based on Arabic iqbāl ‘prosperity, success’. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohammad, Zafar, Mohammed, Javed, Muhammad, Javaid, Shahid, Syed, Asif, Arshad, Azhar, Tariq.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Iqbal markedly increased between 2000 and 2010. Its ranking climbed from 8,629 in 2000 to 5,970 in 2010, reflecting a change of approximately 30.81%. The count of individuals with this last name also saw significant growth during this period, with an increase of 64.31% from 3,508 to 5,764. Furthermore, the proportion of people with the Iqbal surname per 100,000 of the population rose by 50%, moving from 1.3 in 2000 to 1.95 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#8,629#5,97030.81%
Count3,5085,76464.31%
Proportion per 100k1.31.9550%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Iqbal

In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of individuals with the Iqbal surname identified as Asian or Pacific Islander in both 2000 and 2010, with the percentage increasing by 12.36% over the decade. There was a notable decrease, however, in the proportion of those identifying as two or more races, falling by 71.29%. The percentages of those with Iqbal as their last name who identified as white, Hispanic, black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable, with incremental changes observed. Specifically, there was a slight increase in the white category, from 5.02% to 5.05%, and a minor reduction in the Hispanic category, from 1.94% to 1.67%. The percentage of people identifying as black and American Indian and Alaskan Native were minimal in 2000, but showed increases to 0.71% and 0.36% respectively in 2010.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander78.62%88.34%12.36%
White5.02%5.05%0.6%
Two or More Races13.48%3.87%-71.29%
Hispanic1.94%1.67%-13.92%
Black0%0.71%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.36%0%

Iqbal 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 Iqbal is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 74.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Bengali & Northeast Indian (8.4%) and Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Central Asian, British & Irish, Eastern European, French & German, and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Northern Indian & Pakistani74.0%
Bengali & Northeast Indian8.4%
Southern Indian & Sri Lankan4.6%
Other13.0%
Iqbal

Possible origins of the surname Iqbal

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 Iqbal have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Pakistan, and India.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Punjab, Pakistan66.10%
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan29.80%
Sindh, Pakistan16.10%
Azad Jammu And Kashmir, Pakistan12.10%
Uttar Pradesh, India10.50%

What Iqbal 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 Iqbal is R-Y6, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y6 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-Z93 and R-Y7, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hussain, Sharma, Siddiqui, Khan, Kumar, Rahman, Ahmad, Desai, Mehta, Singh.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Iqbal surname are: M, H, U7. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

iqbalPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420

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 Iqbal 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

Iqbal

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Iqbal" Surname 50.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Iqbal

Misophonia

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

"Iqbal" Surname 36.4%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Iqbal

Vitamin Use

Takes vitamins on a regular basis.

"Iqbal" Surname 35.5%

23andMe Users 45.5%

Wellness

Iqbal

Migraine

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

"Iqbal" Surname 10.2%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Iqbal?

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 Iqbal 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

Northern Indian & Pakistani 52.7%

23andMe Users 57.2%