Explore the Family Name Kaur
The meaning of Kaur
Indian (mainly Punjab): term used by Indian women, either as the final element of a compound personal name or as a surname. It cannot be regarded as a true surname or surname. The term goes back to Sanskrit kumārī ‘girl, daughter’, which was shortened to kuar and then changed into kaur by metathesis. Among Sikhs, female names are often derived from male names by the addition of Kaur: e.g. Mahinder Kaur, from the male name Mahinder. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Amrit, Balwinder, Nirmal, Amar, Balvir, Pritam, Charan, Darshan, Gursharan, Nasib, Prem.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kaur in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Kaur significantly increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Kaur was ranked 1501 in terms of prevalence but rose sharply to rank 711 in 2010 - a change of 52.63%. In terms of count, there were 21,825 individuals with the surname Kaur in 2000, which more than doubled to 48,753 in 2010. This represents an increase of 123.38%. The proportion of people named Kaur per 100,000 also saw a dramatic increase, moving up from 8.09 in 2000 to 16.53 in 2010, a rise of 104.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,501 | #711 | 52.63% |
| Count | 21,825 | 48,753 | 123.38% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.09 | 16.53 | 104.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kaur
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the surname Kaur identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, this group accounted for 89.33% of all Kaurs, and it increased slightly to 96.09% in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying as having two or more ethnic identities decreased significantly from 8.88% to 1.5%, marking an 83.11% drop. A slight rise was observed among those identifying as White, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native. The percentage of Whites went up from 0.84% to 1.13%, Hispanics from 0.33% to 0.37%, Blacks from 0.16% to 0.27%, and American Indian and Alaskan Natives from 0.46% to 0.64%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 89.33% | 96.09% | 7.57% |
| Two or More Races | 8.88% | 1.5% | -83.11% |
| White | 0.84% | 1.13% | 34.52% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.46% | 0.64% | 39.13% |
| Hispanic | 0.33% | 0.37% | 12.12% |
| Black | 0.16% | 0.27% | 68.75% |
Kaur 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 Kaur is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 94.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (0.8%) and Bengali & Northeast Indian (0.7%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, Central Asian, French & German, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 94.0% |
| Southern Indian & Sri Lankan | 0.8% |
| Bengali & Northeast Indian | 0.7% |
| Other | 4.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Kaur
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 Kaur have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Pakistan, and India.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Punjab, Pakistan | 87.80% |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | 21.40% |
| Sindh, Pakistan | 16.80% |
| Punjab, India | 7.90% |
| Azad Jammu And Kashmir, Pakistan | 6.10% |
What Kaur 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 Kaur is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kaur surname are: M, M30, U7. These most commonly trace back to individuals of Central & South Asian and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Yu Hong
During the 6th century AD the Persian Empire controlled trade along the Silk Road through its Central Asian province of Sogdiana, providing a vital trade link between China and Europe. Evidence suggests there was a genetic connection as well. Researchers extracted DNA from the remains of a chieftain named Yu Hong, who was buried about 200 miles southwest of Beijing in 592 AD. His burial epitaph indicated that Yu Hong had Central Asian ancestry — and his DNA revealed an even more exotic background. Yu Hong's mitochondrial DNA belonged to the U5 haplogroup, a branch of U that is concentrated in Europe. This haplogroup assignment is a sure sign that he had European ancestors on his mother's side, and demonstrated the vast range of haplogroup U from the west to the east.
What do people with the surname Kaur 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.
"Kaur" Surname 43.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Kaur" Surname 46.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kaur" Surname 17.4%
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.
"Kaur" Surname 13.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kaur?
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 Kaur are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition