Explore the Family Name Kangas
The meaning of Kangas
Finnish: habitational name from farms so named, from kangas ‘heath, moor’, with reference to their location. Established as a hereditary surname since the late 19th century in western Finland (chiefly in Ostrobothnia) and in central and northern Finland. Occasionally also adopted as an ornamental name in the name-changing campaigns of the early 20th century (compare Laine 4). Some characteristic forenames: Finnish Eino, Reino, Waino, Toivo, Tauno, Oiva, Sulo, Arvi, Hilja, Kalevi, Niilo, Aimo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kangas in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kangas has seen a rise in popularity in the United States between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Kangas was ranked at 7,347 in terms of commonality among surnames, but by 2010, it had climbed to 7,013, signifying an increase of approximately 4.55 percent. The count of people with the Kangas surname also increased from 4,177 to 4,776, a growth rate of about 14.34 percent during this decade. Accordingly, the proportion of individuals with the surname Kangas per 100,000 people rose by 4.52 percent, going from 1.55 in 2000 to 1.62 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,347 | #7,013 | 4.55% |
| Count | 4,177 | 4,776 | 14.34% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.55 | 1.62 | 4.52% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kangas
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Kangas, there have been some notable shifts from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority of those with the Kangas surname identified as White, with percentages decreasing from 96.15 in 2000 to 92.02 in 2010, there were increases in other ethnic groups. The number of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a significant jump of 142.22 percent, moving from 0.45 in 2000 to 1.09 in 2010. Similarly, those identifying as Hispanic increased from 1.01 to 3.81, a rise of 277.23 percent. Comparatively smaller increases were noted for Black (69.23 percent) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (1.77 percent) communities. The category indicating two or more races also saw a bump, increasing by 47.52 percent over the ten years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.15% | 92.02% | -4.3% |
| Hispanic | 1.01% | 3.81% | 277.23% |
| Two or More Races | 1.01% | 1.49% | 47.52% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.13% | 1.15% | 1.77% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 1.09% | 142.22% |
| Black | 0.26% | 0.44% | 69.23% |
Kangas 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 Kangas is Finnish, which comprises 33.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (25.7%) and French & German (15.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Finnish | 33.5% |
| British & Irish | 25.7% |
| French & German | 15.6% |
| Other | 25.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Kangas
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 Kangas have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Finland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 61.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 61.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 61.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 61.00% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 60.20% |
What Kangas 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 Kangas is N-CTS1737, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup N-CTS1737 is descended from haplogroup N-M231. Other common haplogroups include I-L258 and N-CTS2929, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Aho, Maki, Niemi, Koski, Mattson, Erickson, Hastings, Hendrickson, Danielson, Gustafson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kangas surname are: H1, H, U5a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins N-M231
Your paternal lineage may be linked to men with indigenous Siberian ancestry
Haplogroup N-M178 is the most common paternal lineage in people of indigenous Siberian descent, but it probably only arrived in Siberia within the last 3,000 years. By the time members of N-M178 arrived in Siberia from Mongolia and northern China, other humans had probably been there for tens of thousands of years. In fact, research suggests that modern humans have been in Siberia near the Altai Mountains for 40,000 years, mostly as hunter-gatherers. The original inhabitants of Siberia probably migrated from Central Asia, not long after the original human exodus from Africa 50,000-70,000 years ago.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Kangas 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.
"Kangas" Surname 42.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Kangas" Surname 23.8%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kangas" Surname 13.7%
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.
"Kangas" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kangas?
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 Kangas are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition