Explore the Family Name Jara

The meaning of Jara

1. Spanish: habitational name any of the various places in southern Spain named (La) Jara, from jara ‘rockrose, cistus’. 2. Polish: unexplained. Compare Yara. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Carlos, Juan, Manuel, Luis, Ruben, Miguel, Raul, Jesus, Cesar, Francisco, Javier.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Jara has seen a notable rise between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 5060 in the popularity chart and rose to 4042 by the year 2010, marking an increase of 20.12%. The count of people with this surname also saw a substantial jump from 6359 in 2000 to 8790 in 2010, indicating an overall growth of 38.23%. Furthermore, the proportion per 100k of the population bearing the surname Jara increased by 26.27% over the same time period.

20002010Change
Rank#5,060#4,04220.12%
Count6,3598,79038.23%
Proportion per 100k2.362.9826.27%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jara

On the subject of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of people with the Jara surname identify as Hispanic. This group saw a slight increase in their representation from 85.5% in 2000 to 87.51% in 2010. The second-largest ethnic identity associated with the Jara surname is White, although this group's representation experienced a drop from 10.85% in 2000 to 8.36% in 2010. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation also saw a small growth of 14.23%, while the proportion of people identifying as two or more races declined by 58.14%. Lastly, new ethnic identities of Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native emerged within this surname category during the decade, although they represent less than 1% each.

20002010Change
Hispanic85.5%87.51%2.35%
White10.85%8.36%-22.95%
Asian/Pacific Islander2.39%2.73%14.23%
Black0%0.9%0%
Two or More Races0.86%0.36%-58.14%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.14%0%

Jara 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 Jara is Indigenous American, which comprises 36.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Spanish & Portuguese (36.5%) and British & Irish (7.5%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Filipino & Austronesian, Italian, Eastern European, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Indigenous American36.6%
Spanish & Portuguese36.5%
British & Irish7.5%
Other19.5%
Jara

Possible origins of the surname Jara

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 Jara have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Nuevo Leon, Mexico52.70%
Coahuila, Mexico52.70%
Durango, Mexico52.70%
Guanajuato, Mexico52.70%
Guerrero, Mexico52.70%

What Jara 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 Jara is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include Q-M3 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Gouveia, Merino, Leyva, Vela, Trevino, Moreira, Ochoa, Heredia, Valenzuela, Bustamante.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Jara surname are: A2, H, B2. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

jaraPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to some of the first Americans

Though the Ice Age was beginning to retreat when your A2 ancestors first entered North America, there were still massive barriers blocking their way. Glaciers and inhospitable climate covered much of the continent, blocking entry into the interior. Nonetheless, researchers have found evidence that a wave of American founders migrated over 13,000 kilometers to reach southern Chile in only 2,000 years, a blink of an eye in the story of human migration! Their highway to the south was the coast of the Pacific, stocked with fish, diverse marine mammals, and other valuable resources in the rich kelp forests of the upper latitudes and in the abundant fresh-water rivers near the equator. Because of this rapid movement south, the A2 haplogroup and its diverse branches are found throughout North and South America.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Jara 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

Jara

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Jara" Surname 35.1%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Jara

Cheek Dimples

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

"Jara" Surname 47.4%

23andMe Users 37.6%

Habits

Jara

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Jara" Surname 10.4%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Jara

Migraine

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

"Jara" Surname 12.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Jara?

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

Celiac Disease

HLA-DQ8 variant

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the consumption of gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye) can result in damage to the small intestine. Celiac disease can lead to both digestive and non-digestive problems. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes two common variants associated with an increased risk of developing this condition. Learn more about Celiac Disease

Indigenous American 66.9%

23andMe Users 20.0%