Explore the Family Name Menjivar

The meaning of Menjivar

Basque: Castilianized form of an unidentified surname, probably a topographic name with the second element ibar ‘meadow, riverbank, valley’. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Carlos, Miguel, Juan, Ana, Efrain, Luis, Manuel, Mario, Pedro, Edgardo, Francisco.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Menjivar in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Menjivar has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Menjivar was the 6,496th most common surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 4,116th position -- a 36.64% change. The number of individuals with this last name also experienced a substantial rise during this time period, as it nearly doubled from 4,819 to 8,622 -- a 78.92% increase. The proportion of people named Menjivar per 100k also expanded by 63.13%, moving from 1.79 to 2.92.

20002010Change
Rank#6,496#4,11636.64%
Count4,8198,62278.92%
Proportion per 100k1.792.9263.13%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Menjivar

Regarding ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that most people with the surname Menjivar identify as Hispanic. This group accounted for 95.87% in 2000 and slightly increased to 96.94% by 2010. Other ethnic identities associated with this surname include White (3.01% in 2000, decreasing to 2.34% in 2010), Black (0.23% in 2000, increasing to 0.30% in 2010), and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.25% in 2000, increasing to 0.30% in 2010). The percentage of those identifying as part of two or more races, as well as American Indian and Alaskan Native, both decreased to zero by 2010.

20002010Change
Hispanic95.87%96.94%1.12%
White3.01%2.34%-22.26%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.25%0.3%20%
Black0.23%0.3%30.43%
Two or More Races0.52%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.12%0%0%

Menjivar 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 Menjivar is Indigenous American, which comprises 39.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Spanish & Portuguese (37.6%) and British & Irish (7.5%). Additional ancestries include Senegambian & Guinean, French & German, Angolan & Congolese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Indigenous American39.0%
Spanish & Portuguese37.6%
British & Irish7.5%
Other15.9%
Menjivar

Possible origins of the surname Menjivar

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 Menjivar have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Nayarit, Mexico51.60%
Sinaloa, Mexico51.60%
Mexico City, Mexico51.60%
Michoacan, Mexico51.60%
Guerrero, Mexico51.60%

What Menjivar 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 Menjivar 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 Menjivar surname are: A2, H, B2. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

menjivarPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

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 some of the first Americans

Though the Ice Age was beginning to retreat when your A2 ancestors first entered North America, there were still massive barriers blocking their way. Glaciers and inhospitable climate covered much of the continent, blocking entry into the interior. Nonetheless, researchers have found evidence that a wave of American founders migrated over 13,000 kilometers to reach southern Chile in only 2,000 years, a blink of an eye in the story of human migration! Their highway to the south was the coast of the Pacific, stocked with fish, diverse marine mammals, and other valuable resources in the rich kelp forests of the upper latitudes and in the abundant fresh-water rivers near the equator. Because of this rapid movement south, the A2 haplogroup and its diverse branches are found throughout North and South America.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Menjivar 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

Menjivar

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Menjivar" Surname 28.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Menjivar

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Menjivar" Surname 38.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Menjivar

Kinesthetic Learner

Preferring to learn and process information through hands-on activities, practical experiences, and active engagement.

"Menjivar" Surname 42.9%

23andMe Users 61.5%

Wellness

Menjivar

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Menjivar" Surname 11.1%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Menjivar?

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 Menjivar are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Celiac Disease

HLA-DQ8 variant

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the consumption of gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye) can result in damage to the small intestine. Celiac disease can lead to both digestive and non-digestive problems. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes two common variants associated with an increased risk of developing this condition. Learn more about Celiac Disease

Indigenous American 66.9%

23andMe Users 20.0%