Explore the Family Name Omar
The meaning of Omar
1. Muslim: from the Arabic personal name Omar of uncertain etymology, found almost exclusively among Sunni Muslims. It is thought to be related to Arabic ʿāmir ‘prosperous, full of life, large, substantial’ (see Amir 2). The root word ʿumr means ‘life’. ʿUmar bin al-Khaṭṭāb was the second of the ‘rightly guided’ caliphs (ruled 634–44); he was known by the title al-Fārūq ‘the distinguisher’, i.e. one who distinguishes between truth and falsehood. Compare Omer and Umar. 2. Catalan: topographic name for someone who lived by a group of elm trees, from the collective form of om ‘elm’. 3. Slovenian: probably a nickname or metonymic occupational name from omar ‘cupboard’. 4. Altered form of Albanian Omari, a cognate of 1 above. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohammed, Mohamed, Ali, Omar, Ahmed, Ahmad, Hassan, Abdul, Husam, Khalid.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Omar in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Omar has seen a significant rise in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname climbed from 7358 in 2000 to 4631 in 2010, an increase of 37.06%. The count, or the number of people with the Omar surname, also saw a remarkable growth of 83.56% from 4173 in 2000 to 7660 in 2010. This increased the proportion of people with the surname Omar per 100k population by 67.74%, moving from 1.55 to 2.6.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,358 | #4,631 | 37.06% |
| Count | 4,173 | 7,660 | 83.56% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.55 | 2.6 | 67.74% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Omar
The ethnicity data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some changes in the ethnic identity of individuals with the Omar surname. In 2010, a notable shift was observed with the percentage of Black identifiers increasing by 69.02%, making it the largest ethnic group among individuals with the Omar surname at 50.47%. On the other hand, those identifying as two or more races experienced a significant reduction of 74.24%, dropping from 21.62% in 2000 to just 5.57% in 2010. Small decreases were also seen in the percentages of White, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander identifiers. Meanwhile, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a minor increase of 66.67%, but remained the smallest group.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 29.86% | 50.47% | 69.02% |
| White | 34.89% | 32.52% | -6.79% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 6.37% | 6.24% | -2.04% |
| Two or More Races | 21.62% | 5.57% | -74.24% |
| Hispanic | 7.14% | 5% | -29.97% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.12% | 0.2% | 66.67% |
Omar 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 Omar is Somali, which comprises 18.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Egyptian (8.5%) and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian (7.1%). Additional ancestries include Levantine, Peninsular Arab, British & Irish, Northern Indian & Pakistani, and Ethiopian & Eritrean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Somali | 18.5% |
| Egyptian | 8.5% |
| Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian | 7.1% |
| Other | 65.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Omar
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 Omar have recent ancestry locations in Somalia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Banaadir, Somalia | 26.20% |
| Mudug, Somalia | 24.80% |
| Bari, Somalia | 21.30% |
| Galguduud, Somalia | 20.60% |
| Shabeellaha Hoose, Somalia | 15.60% |
What Omar 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 Omar is E-V32, which is predominantly found among people with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Haplogroup E-V32 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include J-CTS5368 and J-L26, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mohamed, Hussein, Ibrahim, Hassan, Osman, Farah, Ismail, Said, Ali, Ahmed.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Omar surname are: M, U2_3_4_7_8_9, L2a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96Your 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.
What do people with the surname Omar 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.
"Omar" 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.
"Omar" Surname 42.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Omar" Surname 19.4%
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.
"Omar" Surname 17.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Omar?
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 Omar are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition