Explore the Family Name Mars
The meaning of Mars
1. Scottish and English: variant of Marrs. 2. French: habitational name from any of several places called Mars (Ardèche, Ardennes, Gard, Loire, Nièvre, and Meurthe-et-Moselle), from the Latin personal name Marcius (the name of the proprietor of the villa), used adjectivally. The surname could also be derived directly from the personal name. Compare Demars 2. 3. French: from an old vernacular form of the personal name Médard (see Medard). 4. French: from mars, the name of the month of March, probably applied as a nickname for someone born or baptized in that month or for a foundling discovered in March, or perhaps denoting seed sown in March, and hence a metonymic occupational name for an arable grower. See also 5 below. 5. West Indian (mainly Haiti) and Mauritian: from Mars, the name of the Roman god of war, applied as a nickname or ornamental name, or from the personal name Mars of the same origin. The name may also be of the same French origin as the name in 4 above. 6. Dutch (also Van der Mars or Van de Mars): topographic name for someone living by a mars denoting lush, alluvial land by a watercourse. Compare Marsman and Meers. 7. Slovenian (also Marš): unexplained. Compare Marsh 3. Some characteristic forenames: French Cecile, Fernand, Jean Claude, Julien, Marceau, Pierre, Serge, Simonne, Yvon.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mars in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Mars has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 6,850th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 7,580th spot, marking a rank change of approximately -10.66%. The count of individuals with this surname also decreased from 4,523 in 2000 to 4,384 in 2010, resulting in a -3.07% change. The proportion of the surname per 100,000 people fell from 1.68 to 1.49 over the decade, representing an -11.31% shift.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,850 | #7,580 | -10.66% |
| Count | 4,523 | 4,384 | -3.07% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.68 | 1.49 | -11.31% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mars
The ethnicity breakdown for the surname Mars, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, has also shown some shifts over the same period. While the percentage of individuals identifying as White with this surname decreased from 72.10% in 2000 to 66.54% in 2010, the proportion of those identifying as Black increased from 20.67% to 24.64%. Notably, the largest percentage increase was among those identifying as Hispanic, with an increase of 37.74%, moving from 3.18% in 2000 to 4.38% in 2010. Individuals with this surname who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a slight decrease in their representation, going down by -11.11% from 1.26% to 1.12%. The proportion of individuals with two or more ethnic identities rose from 1.92% to 2.49%, a 29.69% increase. Meanwhile, American Indian and Alaskan Native representation experienced a minimal decrease, from 0.86% to 0.84%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.1% | 66.54% | -7.71% |
| Black | 20.67% | 24.64% | 19.21% |
| Hispanic | 3.18% | 4.38% | 37.74% |
| Two or More Races | 1.92% | 2.49% | 29.69% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.26% | 1.12% | -11.11% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.86% | 0.84% | -2.33% |
Mars 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 Mars is British & Irish, which comprises 38.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.2%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (9.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 38.0% |
| French & German | 19.2% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 9.0% |
| Other | 33.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Mars
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 Mars have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 69.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 69.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 69.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 69.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 69.10% |
What Mars 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 Mars 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 Mars surname are: H1, HV, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
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 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 Mars 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.
"Mars" Surname 27.8%
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.
"Mars" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mars" Surname 20.5%
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.
"Mars" Surname 17.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mars?
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 Mars are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition