Explore the Family Name Marek
The meaning of Marek
1. Polish, Czech, and Slovak: from the personal name Marek, an equivalent of Latin Marcus (see Mark). 2. Czech: from a pet form of the personal name Martin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Marek in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Marek has seen a slight shift between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Marek was ranked as the 4368th most common name, with a total count of 7517 instances recorded. By 2010, it had slipped slightly to the 4420th spot, but the total occurrence increased to 8042, indicating a growth of 6.98%. The proportion per 100k also dropped from 2.79 to 2.73, showing a decrease of 2.15%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,368 | #4,420 | -1.19% |
| Count | 7,517 | 8,042 | 6.98% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.79 | 2.73 | -2.15% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Marek
The data from the Decennial U.S. Census also reveals changes in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Marek. In 2000, the majority of those bearing the surname were identified as White (95.93%), followed by Hispanic (1.53%), American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.77%), Two or more races (1.00%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.45%), and Black (0.32%). By 2010, while the majority remained White (94.52%), the percentages for other ethnicities fluctuated. The number of people identifying as Hispanic increased to 2.26%, Asian/Pacific Islander rose to 1.04%, and Black surged to 0.58%. However, there was a decrease in the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.66%) and Two or more races (0.93%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.93% | 94.52% | -1.47% |
| Hispanic | 1.53% | 2.26% | 47.71% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 1.04% | 131.11% |
| Two or More Races | 1% | 0.93% | -7% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.77% | 0.66% | -14.29% |
| Black | 0.32% | 0.58% | 81.25% |
Marek 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 Marek is Eastern European, which comprises 33.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (24.5%) and French & German (23.2%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Eastern European | 33.1% |
| British & Irish | 24.5% |
| French & German | 23.2% |
| Other | 19.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Marek
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 Marek have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Poland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 57.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 57.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 57.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 56.80% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 56.80% |
What Marek 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 Marek is R-M167, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M167 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L260 and R-CTS3402, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Cox, Palmer, Poole, Schaffer, Gross, Nowakowski, Conrad, Bednar, Schneider, Pool.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Marek surname are: H1, T2b, 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 Marek 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.
"Marek" Surname 37.3%
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.
"Marek" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Marek" Surname 21.0%
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.
"Marek" Surname 24.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Marek?
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 Marek are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition