Explore the Family Name Marques
The meaning of Marques
1. Catalan (Marquès); Spanish and southern French (Marqués): from Catalan marquès, Spanish and Occitan marqués ‘marquis’, words of French origin (see Marquis), applied either as a nickname for someone who behaved like a marquis or as an occupational name for a servant in the household of a marquis. 2. Portuguese: patronymic from the personal name Marcos. 3. Spanish: variant or altered form of Márquez (see Marquez), a cognate of 2 above. 4. English: occasionally a variant of Marquis. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Carlos, Mario, Luis, Fernando, Jorge, Armando, Ana, Joaquin, Julio, Marcos. Portuguese Joao, Joaquim, Paulo, Henrique, Lourenco, Seraphine, Vasco.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Marques in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Marques has seen a notable increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Marques was ranked as the 5041st most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had climbed to the 4716th spot, marking a change of 6.45%. The total count of individuals bearing this surname also rose during this period, jumping from 6386 to 7520, indicating a significant increase of 17.76%. Furthermore, the proportion of people named Marques per 100,000 residents also saw an upswing, moving from 2.37 to 2.55, which represents a growth rate of 7.59%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,041 | #4,716 | 6.45% |
| Count | 6,386 | 7,520 | 17.76% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.37 | 2.55 | 7.59% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Marques
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the Marques surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there have been some changes between 2000 and 2010. The majority of individuals identified as White, with the percentage growing slightly from 67.13% to 69.81%. Interestingly, despite being the second largest group, the Hispanic community saw a marginal decrease from 23.76% to 23.43%. Meanwhile, the Black community experienced the highest percent change, increasing from 1.93% to 3.20%. The population identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also grew from 0.77% to 1.36%. However, those identifying as having two or more races saw a significant drop from 5.97% to 1.58%. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native community saw a modest increase from 0.45% to 0.61%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 67.13% | 69.81% | 3.99% |
| Hispanic | 23.76% | 23.43% | -1.39% |
| Black | 1.93% | 3.2% | 65.8% |
| Two or More Races | 5.97% | 1.58% | -73.53% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.77% | 1.36% | 76.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.45% | 0.61% | 35.56% |
Marques 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 Marques is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 62.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (10.6%) and French & German (6.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Indigenous American, Eastern European, Angolan & Congolese, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 62.2% |
| British & Irish | 10.6% |
| French & German | 6.7% |
| Other | 20.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Marques
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 Marques have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and Brazil.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Azores, Portugal | 68.30% |
| Madeira, Portugal | 67.50% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 66.10% |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 66.10% |
| Coimbra District, Portugal | 62.70% |
What Marques 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 Marques 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 R-Z225 and E-M183, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Machado, Faria, Alves, Martins, Ribeiro, Tavares, Nunes, Soares, Hidalgo, Armstrong.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Marques 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 Marques 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.
"Marques" Surname 36.4%
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.
"Marques" Surname 35.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Marques" Surname 15.4%
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.
"Marques" Surname 14.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Marques?
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 Marques are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition