Explore the Family Name Maharaj
The meaning of Maharaj
Indian (north central India): from Sanskrit mahārāja, literally ‘great king’, which came to be used as a title denoting an accomplished practitioner (a master) of a particular skill or craft (for example cooking, singing, drumming, or dancing) or a religious guru. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Krishna, Vishnu, Hardeo, Prakash, Ramsaran, Chandra, Geeta, Kishore, Mala, Rajendra, Ram.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Maharaj in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Maharaj" increased significantly from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Maharaj was ranked as the 13,613th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had risen to 11,322nd, indicating a change of 16.83%. Similarly, the number of individuals with this surname also exhibited growth. In 2000, there were 2,045 people named Maharaj in the U.S., while by 2010, that count had grown to 2,787 - a significant increase of 36.28%. The proportion of individuals named Maharaj per 100,000 also increased from 0.76 in 2000 to 0.94 in 2010, marking a 23.68% change.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | #13,613 | #11,322 | 16.83% |
Count | 2,045 | 2,787 | 36.28% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.76 | 0.94 | 23.68% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Maharaj
In terms of the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Maharaj", the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some notable changes between 2000 and 2010. The largest group identifying as Maharaj were those of Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity, increasing from 43.23% to 48.62% over the decade. However, those who identified as two or more races saw a significant decrease, from 32.03% to 16.07%. Meanwhile, the percentage of White identifiers increased slightly from 5.13% to 6.06%. The Hispanic representation also grew from 2.40% to 3.48%, while the Black population showed a significant increase from 16.23% to 24.90%. Lastly, those of American Indian and Alaskan Native descent saw a slight drop from 0.98% to 0.86%.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
Asian/Pacific Islander | 43.23% | 48.62% | 12.47% |
Black | 16.23% | 24.9% | 53.42% |
Two or More Races | 32.03% | 16.07% | -49.83% |
White | 5.13% | 6.06% | 18.13% |
Hispanic | 2.4% | 3.48% | 45% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.98% | 0.86% | -12.24% |
Maharaj 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 Maharaj is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 45.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Bengali & Northeast Indian (21.2%) and Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (16.6%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, French & German, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Chinese.
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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
---|---|
Northern Indian & Pakistani | 45.7% |
Bengali & Northeast Indian | 21.2% |
Southern Indian & Sri Lankan | 16.6% |
Other | 16.5% |
![Maharaj](/_next/static/media/in.34405528.webp)
Possible origins of the surname Maharaj
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 Maharaj have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in India, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
---|---|
Uttar Pradesh, India | 31.50% |
Gujarat, India | 22.80% |
Punjab, India | 18.50% |
Kerala, India | 15.20% |
Tamil Nadu, India | 13.00% |
What Maharaj 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 Maharaj 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 Maharaj surname are: M, H, R. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
![maharaj](/_next/static/media/Map_paternal_O_blue.e82912a2.webp)
![Paternal Haplo Image](/_next/static/media/vietnam_halong_bay.914b72e1.webp)
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 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.
![Maternal Haplo Image](/_next/static/media/jodhpur_women.9936b075.webp)
What do people with the surname Maharaj 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
Traits
Habits
![Maharaj](/_next/static/media/wb_sugary_drink_freqdf_1x_per_day_or_more-blue.09adea71.webp)
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Maharaj" Surname 29.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
![Maharaj](/_next/static/media/migraine_diagnosis-blue.36a5b635.webp)
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Maharaj" Surname 18.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Maharaj?
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 Maharaj are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition