Explore the Family Name Oliveira
The meaning of Oliveira
1. Portuguese and Galician: habitational name from any of numerous places called Oliveira, from Portuguese and Galician oliveira ‘olive grove’ (from Late Latin olivarius, a derivative of Latin oliva ‘olive’), or a topographic name from this word. Compare De Oliveira. 2. Jewish (Sephardic): adoption of the Iberian surname (see 1 above) at the moment of conversion to Roman Catholicism. After the return to Judaism (generations later), some descendants retained the name their families used as Catholics. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Carlos, Luis, Fernando, Mario, Luiz, Francisco, Sergio, Ana, Geraldo, Pedro. Portuguese Joao, Paulo, Joaquim, Duarte, Agostinho, Guilherme, Marcio, Sebastiao, Anabela, Henrique, Messias, Ademir.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Oliveira in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Oliveira has seen an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Oliveira ranked as the 2311th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had climbed to the 1887th position, representing an 18.35% change in rank. Furthermore, the count of individuals with this surname also rose from approximately 14,341 in 2000 to 19,055 in 2010, a significant growth of 32.87%. This resulted in the proportion per 100,000 people increasing from 5.32 to 6.46, a 21.43% hike.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,311 | #1,887 | 18.35% |
| Count | 14,341 | 19,055 | 32.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.32 | 6.46 | 21.43% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Oliveira
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data highlights some intriguing shifts over the same period. While the majority of individuals with the Oliveira surname identified their ethnic identity as White (76.70% in 2000 and 83.93% in 2010), there have been noticeable changes in other ethnic groups. The number of Asian/Pacific Islanders increased by 86%, while those identifying as Black saw a massive 204.43% surge. Conversely, those reporting two or more races dropped dramatically from 13.41% to 2.61%, a fall of 80.54%. The proportion of Hispanic individuals decreased slightly by 9.31%, whereas the American Indian and Alaskan Native group witnessed a substantial rise of 116.67%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 76.7% | 83.93% | 9.43% |
| Hispanic | 7.2% | 6.53% | -9.31% |
| Black | 1.58% | 4.81% | 204.43% |
| Two or More Races | 13.41% | 2.61% | -80.54% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1% | 1.86% | 86% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.12% | 0.26% | 116.67% |
Oliveira 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 Oliveira is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 65.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (7.7%) and Indigenous American (4.8%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Italian, Angolan & Congolese, Eastern European, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 65.0% |
| British & Irish | 7.7% |
| Indigenous American | 4.8% |
| Other | 22.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Oliveira
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 Oliveira have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and Brazil.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Azores, Portugal | 79.80% |
| Madeira, Portugal | 79.10% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 78.00% |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 77.10% |
| Porto District, Portugal | 74.40% |
What Oliveira 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 Oliveira 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 R-L51 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pereira, Ferreira, Souza, Gomes, Rodrigues, Lopes, Fernandez, Suarez, Silva, Costa.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Oliveira 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 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.
What do people with the surname Oliveira 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.
"Oliveira" Surname 40.9%
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.
"Oliveira" Surname 38.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Oliveira" Surname 18.8%
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.
"Oliveira" Surname 14.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Oliveira?
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 Oliveira are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition