Explore the Family Name Luis
The meaning of Luis
Portuguese (Luís) and Spanish: from the personal name Luís or Luis, from French Louis. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Manuel, Mario, Luis, Carlos, Miguel, Fernando, Humberto, Alberto, Armando, Jorge, Juan. Portuguese Joao, Duarte, Joaquim, Vasco, Wenceslao.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Luis in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Luis has grown in popularity in the United States. In 2000, Luis was the 4,737th most common surname, but by 2010 it had climbed to the 3,827th spot, representing a rise of 19.21%. The number of individuals with the last name Luis also increased substantially from 6,845 in 2000 to 9,255 in 2010, marking an increase of 35.21%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Luis per 100,000 residents rose by 23.62% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,737 | #3,827 | 19.21% |
| Count | 6,845 | 9,255 | 35.21% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.54 | 3.14 | 23.62% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Luis
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Luis has also shifted over time, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. From 2000 to 2010, the percentage of Luis individuals identifying as Hispanic increased by 15.62%, making up 70.03% of those with the surname in 2010. Conversely, the proportion of those identifying as White decreased by 24.28% to 19.37%, while those identifying as Black declined by 22.49% to 3.48%. There were also decreases in the percentages identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native, with reductions of 10.91% and 7.32% respectively. Meanwhile, individuals identifying with two or more races experienced the most significant decrease, dropping by 53.61%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 60.57% | 70.03% | 15.62% |
| White | 25.58% | 19.37% | -24.28% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 6.05% | 5.39% | -10.91% |
| Black | 4.49% | 3.48% | -22.49% |
| Two or More Races | 2.91% | 1.35% | -53.61% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.41% | 0.38% | -7.32% |
Luis 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 Luis is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 40.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (13.7%) and Indigenous American (13.2%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Filipino & Austronesian, Italian, Eastern European, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 40.0% |
| British & Irish | 13.7% |
| Indigenous American | 13.2% |
| Other | 33.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Luis
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 Luis have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Portugal, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Madeira, Portugal | 31.50% |
| Azores, Portugal | 31.50% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 29.90% |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 29.10% |
| Leiria District, Portugal | 28.30% |
What Luis 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 Luis is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-M304 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: De Leon, Vergara, Oliva, Toledo, Enos, Rojo, Cardona, Gallardo, Rey, Montenegro.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Luis surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Luis 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.
"Luis" Surname 40.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Luis" Surname 36.8%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Luis" Surname 35.7%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Luis" Surname 14.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Luis?
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 Luis are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition