Explore the Family Name Jose

The meaning of Jose

1. Spanish and Portuguese (José): from the personal name José, equivalent to Joseph. 2. English (Cornwall): variant of Joyce. Compare Goss. 3. French (José): from an old vernacular form of the personal name Joseph. 4. Indian (Kerala): from the personal name Jose, the Malayalam form of Joseph, found among Christians in southern India. — Note: Since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Francisco, Ernesto, Jose, Joselito, Rogelio, Armando, Luis, Mario, Roberto, Aurelio, Bernardo. Portuguese Caetano, Henrique, Ilidio.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Jose saw a significant rise in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 4,435th most common name, but by 2010 it had risen to be the 3,348th most common. This represents a substantial change of 24.51%. The actual count of people with the surname also increased during this time period, growing from 7,389 in 2000 to 10,697 by 2010. This demonstrates an increase of 44.77%. Consequently, the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 individuals also rose by 32.48%.

20002010Change
Rank#4,435#3,34824.51%
Count7,38910,69744.77%
Proportion per 100k2.743.6332.48%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jose

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest increase was seen within the Hispanic community, which grew from 31.14% to 37.40%, a rise of 20.10%. The Asian/Pacific Islander population also saw a sizeable increase, going from 31.93% to 36.92%, representing a change of 15.63%. However, the proportions of other ethnicities with the surname Jose decreased. The white community dropped from 22.45% in 2000 to 15.07% in 2010, while the Black community saw a decrease of 28.09%, going from 3.56% to 2.56%. There were also decreases in the American Indian and Alaskan Native communities, which went from 7.71% in 2000 to 5.95% in 2010, a decrease of 22.83%.

20002010Change
Hispanic31.14%37.4%20.1%
Asian/Pacific Islander31.93%36.92%15.63%
White22.45%15.07%-32.87%
American Indian and Alaskan Native7.71%5.95%-22.83%
Black3.56%2.56%-28.09%
Two or More Races3.21%2.09%-34.89%

Jose 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 Jose is Filipino & Austronesian, which comprises 22.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Malayali Subgroup (21.7%) and British & Irish (13.0%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, French & German, Indigenous American, Italian, and Eastern European.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Filipino & Austronesian22.5%
Malayali Subgroup21.7%
British & Irish13.0%
Other42.8%
Jose

Possible origins of the surname Jose

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 Jose have recent ancestry locations in the Philippines and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Metro Manila, Philippines28.00%
Calabarzon, Philippines28.00%
Central Luzon, Philippines28.00%
Central Visayas, Philippines28.00%
Eastern Visayas, Philippines28.00%

What Jose 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 Jose is O-M119, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-M119 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include C-M130 and O-F706, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Zwick, Donelson, Moro, Morningstar, Donlon, Morlan, Donner, Morgenstern, Morford, Morello.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Jose surname are: M, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

josePaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

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 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 Jose 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

Jose

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Jose" Surname 31.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Jose

Cheek Dimples

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

"Jose" Surname 32.1%

23andMe Users 37.6%

Habits

Jose

Vitamin Use

Takes vitamins on a regular basis.

"Jose" Surname 40.0%

23andMe Users 45.5%

Wellness

Jose

Migraine

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

"Jose" Surname 7.0%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Jose?

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 Jose 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

Filipino & Austronesian 14.8%

23andMe Users 57.2%