Explore the Family Name Lien

The meaning of Lien

1. Norwegian: habitational name from any of numerous farmsteads named Lia, the definite singular form of Li 11. 2. Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 連, 練 and 廉, see Lian 2–4. 3. Vietnamese (Liên): from the Chinese surname 連, see Lian 2. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Nels, Ove, Thor, Alf, Astrid, Carsten, Erik, Helmer, Hilmer, Iver, Lars, Per. Vietnamese Minh, Ngo, Buu, Hoa, Hung, Khoa, Kien, Mai, Phat, Quan, Quang, Thanh.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Lien' slightly decreased from 2000 to 2010. The name dropped in rank from 4860 in 2000 to 5127 in 2010, indicating a decrease in popularity by 5.49%. However, despite the drop in rank, the actual count of people with this surname increased by 2.97%, from 6630 individuals in 2000 to 6827 in 2010. This shows that although the name's rank dropped, more people adopted this surname over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#4,860#5,127-5.49%
Count6,6306,8272.97%
Proportion per 100k2.462.31-6.1%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lien

In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of Asian/Pacific Islanders with the surname 'Lien' grew by 13.44%, from 27.68% to 31.40%, making it the most significant growth among all ethnic identities. Meanwhile, those identifying as White with the same surname decreased by 5.73%, though still representing the majority at 64.64% in 2010. The percentage of people identifying as Black, Hispanic, or belonging to two or more races also saw a marginal increase, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased slightly.

20002010Change
White68.57%64.64%-5.73%
Asian/Pacific Islander27.68%31.4%13.44%
Two or More Races1.63%1.7%4.29%
Hispanic1.49%1.55%4.03%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.48%0.45%-6.25%
Black0.15%0.25%66.67%

Lien 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 Lien is Scandinavian, which comprises 30.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese (22.3%) and British & Irish (17.4%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Vietnamese, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, and Finnish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Scandinavian30.6%
Chinese22.3%
British & Irish17.4%
Other29.7%
Lien

Possible origins of the surname Lien

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 Lien have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Norway.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
West Midlands, United Kingdom45.60%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom45.60%
Greater London, United Kingdom45.60%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom45.00%
Merseyside, United Kingdom44.40%

What Lien 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 Lien is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z282 and R-Z284, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Everson, Lundberg, Fredrickson, Monson, Samuelson, Thorson, Knudsen, Ellingson, Johansen, Jacobsen.

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

lienPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Lien 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

Lien

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Lien" Surname 35.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Lien

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Lien" Surname 17.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Lien

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Lien" Surname 21.9%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Lien

Migraine

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

"Lien" Surname 9.6%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Lien?

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 Lien 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

Scandinavian 62.9%

23andMe Users 57.2%