Explore the Family Name Min
The meaning of Min
1. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 閔, meaning ‘bad luck, pity, or sorrow’ in ancient Chinese: from Min (閔), the posthumous title of the Duke Min of Lu, the 17th ruler of the state of Lu (located in present-day Shandong province). After only two years on the throne (661–660 BC) he was murdered. His successor gave him the posthumous title 閔 (Min), which became established as a surname for his descendants. 2. Chinese: variant Romanization of the Chinese surname 文, see Wen 2. 3. Korean: there is only one Chinese character used for the Min surname. There is a legend that the Min clan’s founding ancestor, Ch’ing-do, was a descendant of Ch’a kŏn, one of the ten disciples of Confucius. Ch’ing-do, an emissary from China to the Koryŏ kingdom, decided to stay and settled in the Yŏhŭng area. The surname Min can be found throughout Korea, but it is particularly concentrated in Chŏlla and Kyŏngsang provinces. 4. Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name, from min ‘king, ruler’, a term also denoting a high government official. Compare Minn 3. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. 5. Dutch and Flemish (also De Min): nickname from Middle Dutch minne ‘beloved, sweetheart’. 6. Dutch: from a shortened form of the personal name Dominicus (see Dominick). Some characteristic forenames: Korean Kyung, Young, Kyong, Byong, Sung, Sun, Byoung, Eun, Hong, Yong, Choong, Joon, Byung, Chang, Chung, Pyong, Kyong Su, Myong, Sik, Eun-Young, Hyun Sook, Jeong, Kyung Soo, Kyung Won.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Min in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Min has grown in popularity significantly between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 6,254th most common in the United States, but by 2010 it had jumped to the 5,026th position; this represents a rank increase of approximately 19.64 percent. Furthermore, the number of individuals with the surname Min also increased over this time period, with a count of 5,028 in 2000 surging up to 6,982 by 2010, translating to a substantial growth of 38.86 percent. The proportion of people named Min per 100,000 residents also saw a rise of 27.42 percent, from 1.86 in 2000 to 2.37 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,254 | #5,026 | 19.64% |
| Count | 5,028 | 6,982 | 38.86% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.86 | 2.37 | 27.42% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Min
In terms of ethnicity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there's been a slight shift within the Min surname bearers' ethnic identity distribution from 2000 to 2010. The majority of Min surname holders identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, with the percentage increasing from 90.81% in 2000 to 92.15% in 2010. Those identifying as two or more races also saw a small increase of 5.79%. However, those self-identifying as White decreased notably, from 4.93% in 2000 down to 3.68% in 2010. The Hispanic representation among the Min population appeared in 2010 at 0.93%, while those identified as Black decreased by 48.81%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category also emerged in 2010, representing 0.07% of the Min population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 90.81% | 92.15% | 1.48% |
| White | 4.93% | 3.68% | -25.35% |
| Two or More Races | 2.59% | 2.74% | 5.79% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0.93% | 0% |
| Black | 0.84% | 0.43% | -48.81% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.07% | 0% |
Min 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 Min is Korean, which comprises 61.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese (19.0%) and Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Japanese, British & Irish, French & German, Vietnamese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Korean | 61.6% |
| Chinese | 19.0% |
| Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma | 3.6% |
| Other | 15.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Min
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 Min have recent ancestry locations in South Korea and China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Seoul, South Korea | 62.30% |
| Busan, South Korea | 46.90% |
| Gyeongsangnam Do, South Korea | 34.60% |
| Jeollabuk Do, South Korea | 30.00% |
| Chungcheongnam Do, South Korea | 29.20% |
What Min 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 Min is O-CTS7620, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-CTS7620 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-CTS5488 and O-F1204, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Shin, Cho, Jang, Kim, Choi, Park, Choe, Jeong, Suh, Jung.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Min surname are: R, D4, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Yayoi
Haplogroup O1b2a, a branch of haplogroup O, is closely related to several haplogroups that are commonly found in Japan. Haplogroup O is closely associated with Kyushu, Japan's third largest island, and makes up over half of all men in Japan. Although haplogroup O is prevalent in Japan, it likely only entered Japan during the Yayoi expansion about 2,300 years ago. During the Yayoi expansion, people entering from the Korean Peninsula brought wet rice agriculture, weaving technology, and metalworking technology to Japan. The Yayoi expansion began on the island of Kyushu, where haplogroup O is very common today. It is possible that some of the early members of O1-F3356 were involved in this major shift, which quickly and dramatically altered Japanese culture.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han
Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.
What do people with the surname Min 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.
"Min" Surname 28.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Min" Surname 50.0%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Min" Surname 20.7%
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.
"Min" Surname 6.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Min?
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 Min are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition