Explore the Family Name Mohammed

The meaning of Mohammed

Muslim: variant of Muhammad. This is the traditional English-language spelling and as such also the most common spelling in India. It is also the most common spelling in Ethiopia and some of the Arabic countries, e.g. Iraq and Yemen. Compare Mohamed. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Ali, Ahmed, Abdul, Ibrahim, Mohammed, Noor, Rasheed, Abbas, Nazim, Shaheed, Amin, Amir.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Mohammed has gained popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 3419th in terms of commonality, but by 2010 it had risen to 2395th — a significant increase of almost 30%. The count of people bearing this surname also saw an impressive growth of 57.87%, going from 9585 in 2000 to 15132 in 2010. This indicates that for every 100,000 people, the proportion with the surname Mohammed increased by approximately 44.51%.

20002010Change
Rank#3,419#2,39529.95%
Count9,58515,13257.87%
Proportion per 100k3.555.1344.51%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mohammed

The data from the Decennial U.S. Census also reveals interesting shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Mohammed. While the Asian/Pacific Islander and Black communities saw increases of 13.15% and 21.38% respectively, the proportion of individuals identifying as two or more races dropped dramatically by 66.44%. The White community's association with this surname rose by 41.12%, whereas the Hispanic community saw a small uptick of 5.70%. There was also a minor increase of 22.64% among those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
Black30.21%36.67%21.38%
Asian/Pacific Islander30.27%34.25%13.15%
White12.16%17.16%41.12%
Two or More Races23.66%7.94%-66.44%
Hispanic3.16%3.34%5.7%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.53%0.65%22.64%

Mohammed 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 Mohammed is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 28.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (14.2%) and Bengali & Northeast Indian (14.1%). Additional ancestries include Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, Peninsular Arab, Nigerian, British & Irish, and Spanish & Portuguese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Northern Indian & Pakistani28.3%
Southern Indian & Sri Lankan14.2%
Bengali & Northeast Indian14.1%
Other43.5%
Mohammed

Possible origins of the surname Mohammed

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 Mohammed have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Pakistan, and India.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Punjab, Pakistan13.50%
Uttar Pradesh, India12.70%
Punjab, India12.40%
Baghdad Governorate, Iraq8.40%
Tamil Nadu, India8.40%

What Mohammed 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 Mohammed is J-CTS5368, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-CTS5368 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-Y7 and R-Z93, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ali, Ahmed, Ahmad, Hussain, Rahman, Khan, Syed, Kumar, Shah, Sharma.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mohammed surname are: M, H, M30. These most commonly trace back to individuals of Central & South Asian and European ancestry.

mohammedPaternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to men who spread the Semitic languages

Men carrying the J-M267 lineage took part in many waves of migrations over the millennia, and domesticated animals and plants weren't the only things they carried. They may also have been among the communities that spread the Semitic languages, a diverse group that bloomed from a single proto-Semitic tongue in the Levant nearly 5,750 years ago. These men likely carried branches of both haplogroup J and of the Semitic language family through the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of Africa. Still later, some J-M267-bearing men re-expanded from the Arabian Peninsula back through the Middle East and across North Africa in migrations associated with the emergence and spread of Islam.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent

While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Mohammed 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

Mohammed

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Mohammed" Surname 49.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Mohammed

Misophonia

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

"Mohammed" Surname 42.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Mohammed

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Mohammed" Surname 21.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Mohammed

Migraine

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

"Mohammed" Surname 11.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Mohammed?

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

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Northern Indian & Pakistani 52.7%

23andMe Users 57.2%