Explore the Family Name Liao
The meaning of Liao
Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 廖, meaning ‘spacious, empty’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the personal name of Liao Shu An (廖叔安), an official who lived during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC), who is said to have been the founder of an ancient state called Liao (廖), located in Henan province. (ii) from the second element of the personal name Bo Liao (伯廖), said to be name of one of the sons of King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 BC). or a son of an official in the state of Zheng (located in part of present-day Shaanxi and Henan provinces) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) adopted in place of two other Chinese surnames, Miu (繆) and Yan (顏). Some bearers of these two surnames migrated to live on the north bank of the Yellow River, where they changed their surname to Liao (廖) during the reign of Zhou, the last king of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Wen, Jian, Xiang, Cheng, Ching, Wei, Hong, Hsiang, Ming, Ping, Sheng, Chi.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Liao in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Liao has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5534th most popular surname, while by 2010 it had risen to the 4177th position, reflecting a jump of 24.52%. The number of individuals with this surname also increased dramatically during this period, from 5771 in 2000 to 8482 in 2010, indicating an impressive growth rate of almost 47%. The proportion per 100,000 people also rose by over 34%, from 2.14 to 2.88.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,534 | #4,177 | 24.52% |
| Count | 5,771 | 8,482 | 46.98% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.14 | 2.88 | 34.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Liao
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Liao, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that it is overwhelmingly identified with the Asian/Pacific Islander group, with over 95% of bearers of the surname identifying in this way in both 2000 and 2010. There was a minor decrease of 0.04% in this group over the decade. The second largest ethnicity group, albeit significantly smaller, was those identifying as two or more races, which saw a slight increase from 1.68% to 1.73%. The percentages of those identifying as White and Hispanic saw no change and a small decrease respectively. The Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native groups were not represented among the bearers of this surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 95.95% | 95.91% | -0.04% |
| Two or More Races | 1.68% | 1.73% | 2.98% |
| White | 1.56% | 1.56% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0.71% | 0.66% | -7.04% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Liao 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 Liao is Chinese, which comprises 91.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese Dai (2.1%) and Vietnamese (1.6%). Additional ancestries include Korean, French & German, British & Irish, Filipino & Austronesian, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 91.2% |
| Chinese Dai | 2.1% |
| Vietnamese | 1.6% |
| Other | 5.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Liao
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 Liao have recent ancestry locations in China and Taiwan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 79.80% |
| Jiangsu, China | 79.10% |
| Zhejiang, China | 79.10% |
| Shanghai, China | 79.10% |
| Fujian, China | 78.70% |
What Liao 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 Liao is O-F11, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F11 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F8 and O-M307.1, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Yao, Lai, Tong, Xie, Fu, Cheung, He, Dai, Hsu, Chun.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Liao surname are: F1a1, F2, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many of the Massim groups of Papua New Guinea
Haplogroup O2a is prevalent among Massim ethnic groups, including the populations of Airara, Nomanby, the eastern tip of the mainland, the Trobriand Islands, Gawa, Woodlark, the Laughland Islands, and western Calvados. While Papua New Guinea has been inhabited for over 50,000 years, the Massim may have arrived in the last 2,000 years. Today, these populations remain connected through a traditional island trading system called the Kula Ring. Under this exchange system, residents ensure that goods that are only available on some islands, but that are vitally needed in other islands, are shared among the island populations. Only Massim men participate in the Kula exchange system, and it is common for men to be away from home for months at a time when trading with men from other islands.
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.
What do people with the surname Liao 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.
"Liao" Surname 28.9%
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.
"Liao" Surname 20.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Liao" Surname 13.6%
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.
"Liao" Surname 3.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Liao?
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 Liao are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition