Explore the Family Name Motta
The meaning of Motta
1. Italian (mainly northern): topographic name from motta ‘fortified stronghold’, or a habitational name from any of numerous places called with this word, as for example Motta Camastra and Motta d’Affermo in Messina, Sicily, Mottafollone in Cosenza province, Motta Montecorvino in Foggia; Motta Baluffi in Cremona, Motta di Livenza in Treviso, and Motta Visconti in Milan. 2. Portuguese and Spanish: variant of Mota. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Mario, Carlos, Jose, Luis, Alberto, Alvaro, Armando, Cesar, Felipe, Jaime, Jorge. Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Santo, Amedeo, Antonino, Antonio, Carlo, Carmelo, Dino, Domenic, Flavio, Giuseppe. Portuguese Paulo, Joao, Joaquim.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Motta in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Motta" increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Motta ranked 8241 in terms of popular surnames, but by 2010, it moved up to 7929, marking a change of 3.79%. Additionally, there was an increase in the count of individuals with the surname Motta from 3699 in 2000 to 4173 in 2010, representing a 12.81% change. The proportion of people named Motta per 100k also slightly increased over this period from 1.37 to 1.41, a 2.92% shift.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,241 | #7,929 | 3.79% |
| Count | 3,699 | 4,173 | 12.81% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.37 | 1.41 | 2.92% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Motta
Reviewing the Decennial U.S. Census data related to ethnicity reveals some interesting shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the Motta surname from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled from 1.19% to 2.28%, while those identifying with two or more races saw a minor increase from 1.78% to 1.85%. The proportion of individuals identifying as White decreased from 71.61% to 66.79%. Among those identifying as Hispanic, there was an increase from 23.84% to 27.82%. There were slight decreases in the percentages of individuals identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.61% | 66.79% | -6.73% |
| Hispanic | 23.84% | 27.82% | 16.69% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.19% | 2.28% | 91.6% |
| Two or More Races | 1.78% | 1.85% | 3.93% |
| Black | 1.38% | 1.15% | -16.67% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.19% | 0.12% | -36.84% |
Motta 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 Motta is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 35.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (16.7%) and Italian (15.3%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Indigenous American, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 35.5% |
| British & Irish | 16.7% |
| Italian | 15.3% |
| Other | 32.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Motta
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 Motta have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Portugal.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 39.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 39.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 39.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 39.10% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 38.40% |
What Motta 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 Motta 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 E-M183 and J-L26, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Monteiro, Abreu, Barros, Ribeiro, Ferreira, Sousa, Gallego, Soler, Carrasco, Lopes.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Motta surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Motta 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.
"Motta" Surname 38.3%
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.
"Motta" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Motta" Surname 15.5%
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.
"Motta" Surname 15.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Motta?
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 Motta are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition