Explore the Family Name Iyer
The meaning of Iyer
Indian (Tamil Nadu): Brahmin name, from Tamil aiyar, a title of respect composed of the noun stem ayya (see Iyengar) + the honorific plural suffix -r. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Ravi, Shankar, Sridhar, Hari, Krishna, Ramesh, Anand, Ganesh, Mani, Prakash, Raju, Shekhar.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Iyer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Iyer has seen a significant increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 14,212th most common, but by 2010, it had jumped to 8,369th, marking a 41.11% rise in popularity. The count of people with the Iyer surname also more than doubled during this period, going from 1,937 individuals in 2000 to 3,956 in 2010. As a result, the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 increased by 86.11%, from 0.72 in 2000 to 1.34 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,212 | #8,369 | 41.11% |
| Count | 1,937 | 3,956 | 104.23% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.72 | 1.34 | 86.11% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Iyer
The ethnicity distribution of the Iyer surname according to the Decennial U.S. Census data shows an overwhelming majority identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander - from 92.41% in 2000 to 94.19% in 2010. During the same period, the percentage of those who identify with two or more races decreased by 26.56%, and those identifying as white saw a decline of 28.53%. The percentage of Hispanics exhibited a slight decrease of 16.67%. Interestingly, there were no individuals identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, but by 2010, these groups accounted for 0.13% and 0.30% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 92.41% | 94.19% | 1.93% |
| White | 3.82% | 2.73% | -28.53% |
| Two or More Races | 3.2% | 2.35% | -26.56% |
| Hispanic | 0.36% | 0.3% | -16.67% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.3% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0.13% | 0% |
Iyer 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 Iyer is Southern Indian Subgroup, which comprises 80.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Northern Indian & Pakistani (4.6%) and Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (4.0%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, French & German, Eastern European, Italian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Southern Indian Subgroup | 80.3% |
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 4.6% |
| Southern Indian & Sri Lankan | 4.0% |
| Other | 11.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Iyer
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 Iyer have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in India, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu, India | 19.20% |
| Karnataka, India | 17.20% |
| Andhra Pradesh, India | 16.20% |
| Kerala, India | 16.20% |
| Maharashtra, India | 11.10% |
What Iyer 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 Iyer is R-Z93, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z93 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include H-M52 and L-M27, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Rao, Khan, Hussain, Varghese, Desai, Menon, Nair, Kumar, Ahmed, Shah.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Iyer surname are: H, U2, M30. These most commonly trace back to individuals of Central & South Asian and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Iyer 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.
"Iyer" Surname 34.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Iyer" Surname 31.8%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Iyer" Surname 25.6%
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.
"Iyer" Surname 12.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Iyer?
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 Iyer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition