Explore the Family Name Mendonca
The meaning of Mendonca
Portuguese (Mendonça): habitational name from Mendonça, in Portugal. This surname is also found in western India, where it was taken by Portuguese colonists. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Carlos, Luis, Fernando, Jorge, Luiz, Manuela, Ana, Antero, Armando, Eduardo. Portuguese Guilherme, Joao, Agostinho, Duarte, Marcio.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mendonca in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Mendonca increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Mendonca was ranked 9450th in terms of frequency, but it ascended to 8959th place by 2010, reflecting a 5.2% increase. The number of people bearing this surname also surged from 3157 to 3654 during the same period, marking a 15.74% rise. Additionally, per every 100,000 individuals, there were 1.17 and 1.24 persons with the surname Mendonca in 2000 and 2010 respectively, translating to a growth rate of 5.98%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,450 | #8,959 | 5.2% |
| Count | 3,157 | 3,654 | 15.74% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.17 | 1.24 | 5.98% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mendonca
Examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Mendonca using the Decennial U.S. Census data, the largest share identified as White, although this percentage slightly decreased from 79.63% in 2000 to 78.74% in 2010. The second most common ethnicity was those identifying with two or more races; however, this category saw a significant decrease from 9.09% to 4.27%. On the other hand, individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native all saw increases. Notably, the proportion of those identifying as Black experienced the highest growth, jumping from 1.84% to 4.19%, a whopping 127.72% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.63% | 78.74% | -1.12% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.43% | 6.65% | 50.11% |
| Hispanic | 4.75% | 5.77% | 21.47% |
| Two or More Races | 9.09% | 4.27% | -53.03% |
| Black | 1.84% | 4.19% | 127.72% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.25% | 0.38% | 52% |
Mendonca 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 Mendonca is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 55.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (16.4%) and French & German (6.4%). Additional ancestries include Southern Indian Subgroup, Italian, Indigenous American, Filipino & Austronesian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 55.2% |
| British & Irish | 16.4% |
| French & German | 6.4% |
| Other | 22.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Mendonca
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 Mendonca have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Azores, Portugal | 69.20% |
| Madeira, Portugal | 69.20% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 65.40% |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 65.40% |
| Porto District, Portugal | 60.80% |
What Mendonca 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 Mendonca 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 J-L26 and I-M170, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nascimento, Azevedo, Soares, Vieira, Barros, Medeiros, Faria, Abreu, Amaral, Mello.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mendonca surname are: M, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Mendonca 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.
"Mendonca" Surname 47.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Mendonca" Surname 42.9%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mendonca" Surname 16.7%
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.
"Mendonca" Surname 14.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mendonca?
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 Mendonca are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition