Explore the Family Name Mar
The meaning of Mar
1. Spanish, Portuguese, Galician, Asturian-Leonese, and Catalan: topographic name for someone living by the sea, from mar ‘sea’ (from Latin mare). 2. German: nickname from Middle High German mar(w) ‘tender, delicate’, or an altered form of Mahr, a topographic name from mar ‘lake, swamp, stagnant water’. 3. Hungarian (Már): from a short form of the personal name Márkus or Márk, Hungarian forms of Marcus and Mark; or possibly from the personal name Márton, Hungarian form of Martin. 4. Scottish: variant of Marr. 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 馬, see Ma 1. 6. Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name, from mar ‘healthy, firm’. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Gim, Wai, Fong, Hong, Man Chung, Moo, Mun, Quon, Wing, Yat, Bok, Chun.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mar in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Mar has increased over a decade. In 2000, it was ranked 7120 and then rose to 6342 by 2010, marking a 10.93% increase. The count of individuals with the Mar surname also grew from 4327 in 2000 to 5375 in 2010, which is a 24.22% jump. Moreover, for every 100,000 people, there were around 1.6 individuals named Mar in 2000, but this proportion increased to about 1.82 per 100k by 2010, indicating a 13.75% rise.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,120 | #6,342 | 10.93% |
| Count | 4,327 | 5,375 | 24.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.6 | 1.82 | 13.75% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mar
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnicity distribution among individuals bearing the surname Mar. As of 2000, the largest ethnic group was Asian/Pacific Islander at 58.01%, though this figure dropped to 49.13% by 2010. The representation of two or more races increased slightly from 4.16% to 4.48%. White representation decreased from 14.17% to 12.71%, while Hispanic representation experienced a significant increase from 21.03% to 30.36%. The percentage of those identifying as Black also increased from 2.31% to 3.07%. On the other hand, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a decrease, dropping from 0.32% to 0.24%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 58.01% | 49.13% | -15.31% |
| Hispanic | 21.03% | 30.36% | 44.37% |
| White | 14.17% | 12.71% | -10.3% |
| Two or More Races | 4.16% | 4.48% | 7.69% |
| Black | 2.31% | 3.07% | 32.9% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.32% | 0.24% | -25% |
Mar 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 Mar is Chinese, which comprises 44.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (10.5%) and Spanish & Portuguese (7.1%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Chinese Dai, Indigenous American, Eastern European, and Vietnamese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 44.6% |
| British & Irish | 10.5% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 7.1% |
| Other | 37.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Mar
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 Mar have recent ancestry locations in China and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 47.30% |
| Fujian, China | 43.40% |
| Zhejiang, China | 41.90% |
| Shandong, China | 41.90% |
| Shanghai, China | 41.90% |
What Mar 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 Mar is O-Z23420, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-Z23420 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-M307.1 and O-JST002611, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mak, Ho, Wong, Norvell, Ehrhardt, Ehlert, Nottingham, Zwick, Nova, Novack.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mar surname are: N, B4, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese
Haplogroup O1a is a branch of O-M119, also called O1a. O-M119 and its branches are present in both northern and southern Han Chinese men at low to moderate frequencies, but are most common among the Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang southern Han groups. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north. Members of O-M119 belong to a group that has helped to shape the culture of the world's largest ethnic group.
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.
What do people with the surname Mar 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.
"Mar" Surname 52.8%
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.
"Mar" Surname 21.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mar" Surname 14.8%
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.
"Mar" Surname 10.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mar?
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 Mar are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition