Explore the Family Name Maldonado
The meaning of Maldonado
Spanish and Portuguese: 1. nickname from a compound of mal ‘badly’ + donado ‘given, endowed’ (past participle of donar ‘to give, to bestow’), or directly from Latin male donatus ‘ill favored’. 2. habitational name from Maldonado, a village in the province of Albacete (Spain). Compare Baldonado and Maldonaldo. History: This was the name of a well-known medieval family from Galicia, which had numerous branches in Portugal and Spain. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Juan, Luis, Carlos, Manuel, Francisco, Jesus, Jorge, Miguel, Angel, Pedro, Raul. Portuguese Ligia, Omero, Wenceslao.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Maldonado in the United States?
The surname Maldonado has grown in popularity in the US, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it ranked 316th, and by 2010, its rank had improved to 249th, reflecting a change of 21.2%. The count of individuals with this surname also increased significantly during this decade, from 88,016 in 2000 to 121,526 in 2010, marking a substantial growth of 38.07%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Maldonado per 100k population also rose by 26.26%, from 32.63 in 2000 to 41.2 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #316 | #249 | 21.2% |
| Count | 88,016 | 121,526 | 38.07% |
| Proportion per 100k | 32.63 | 41.2 | 26.26% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Maldonado
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the Maldonado surname identify as Hispanic. This group represented 92.95% of Maldonados in 2000, and this percentage slightly increased to 93.71% in 2010. The White subset decreased from 5.53% to 4.97% in the same period. Representation of Asian/Pacific Islander among Maldonados saw a slight increase from 0.33% to 0.40%. Meanwhile, individuals identifying as two or more races decreased by 45.24%, Black representation slightly decreased from 0.51% to 0.50%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native dropped from 0.27% to 0.19%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 92.95% | 93.71% | 0.82% |
| White | 5.53% | 4.97% | -10.13% |
| Black | 0.51% | 0.5% | -1.96% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.4% | 21.21% |
| Two or More Races | 0.42% | 0.23% | -45.24% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.27% | 0.19% | -29.63% |
Maldonado 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 Maldonado is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 42.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (27.0%) and British & Irish (10.1%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Italian, Senegambian & Guinean, Angolan & Congolese, and Nigerian.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 42.0% |
| Indigenous American | 27.0% |
| British & Irish | 10.1% |
| Other | 21.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Maldonado
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 Maldonado have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| San Luis Potosi, Mexico | 49.60% |
| Jalisco, Mexico | 49.60% |
| Michoacan, Mexico | 49.60% |
| Guerrero, Mexico | 49.60% |
| Guanajuato, Mexico | 49.60% |
What Maldonado 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 Maldonado is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include Q-M3 and R-M167, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Diaz, Padilla, Suarez, Acosta, Moreno, Munoz, Silva, Rodriguez, Gutierrez, Gonzalez.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Maldonado surname are: B2, A2, C1c. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to some of the first Americans
Though the Ice Age was beginning to retreat when your A2 ancestors first entered North America, there were still massive barriers blocking their way. Glaciers and inhospitable climate covered much of the continent, blocking entry into the interior. Nonetheless, researchers have found evidence that a wave of American founders migrated over 13,000 kilometers to reach southern Chile in only 2,000 years, a blink of an eye in the story of human migration! Their highway to the south was the coast of the Pacific, stocked with fish, diverse marine mammals, and other valuable resources in the rich kelp forests of the upper latitudes and in the abundant fresh-water rivers near the equator. Because of this rapid movement south, the A2 haplogroup and its diverse branches are found throughout North and South America.
What do people with the surname Maldonado 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.
"Maldonado" Surname 37.5%
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.
"Maldonado" Surname 34.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Maldonado" Surname 20.8%
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.
"Maldonado" Surname 16.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Maldonado?
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 Maldonado are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition