Explore the Family Name Papa
The meaning of Papa
1. Italian: nickname from papa ‘father, cleric, pope’. In southern Italy it is generally a nickname for someone thought to resemble a priest or, in some cases, for the illegitimate child of a priest, but in the North it is more often a nickname meaning ‘pope’, denoting a vain or pompous man. In some parts of Calabria the term is also signifies ‘uncle’. 2. American shortened form (and Greek feminine form, denoting ‘the daughter, or wife of’) of Greek Papas ‘priest’ and of patronymics beginning with Papa-, for example Papageorgiou. 3. Albanian (mainly southern): status name from regional papa, a title for an Orthodox priest, ultimately derived from Greek pappas ‘father’; or, in part, an adaptation of the cognate Greek surname Papas. 4. Hungarian (Pápa): probably from the old personal name Pápa, but in some cases possibly a habitational name from a place called Pápa in Veszprém County. 5. West Frisian and Dutch: variant of Papma, itself a variant of Popma ‘descendants of Poppe’, from an ancient Germanic personal name Poppo (see Popp 1). 6. English and French: variant of Pape. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Mario, Rosario, Domenic, Alfonso, Eduardo, Antonio, Basilio, Carmelo, Emidio, Ettore, Gino, Marco, Pasquale, Pellegrino, Pietro, Ricardo, Rodolfo. Spanish Salvador, Joselito, Nicanor, Rolando.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Papa in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Papa has seen a slight decrease in popularity over the last decade. In 2000, Papa ranked 5,438th in terms of common surnames in the United States and by 2010, it dropped to the 5,768th rank, a decline of 6.07%. However, the total count of individuals with the surname increased from 5,884 to 6,005, indicating a growth of 2.06%. The proportion per 100,000 people decreased from 2.18 to 2.04, a slight dip of 6.42%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,438 | #5,768 | -6.07% |
| Count | 5,884 | 6,005 | 2.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.18 | 2.04 | -6.42% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Papa
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that there were shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 8.99% to 11.22%, a change of 24.81%. Those identifying with two or more races saw a small increase of 2.33%, from 1.29% to 1.32%. The count of those identifying as White slightly decreased, moving from 85.32% to 82.66%, a shift of -3.12%. Those claiming Hispanic ethnicity saw an increase from 3.65% to 4.00%, a change of 9.59%. The proportions for Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities were reported as zero in 2010, while in 2000 they were 0.66% and 0.08% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.32% | 82.66% | -3.12% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 8.99% | 11.22% | 24.81% |
| Hispanic | 3.65% | 4% | 9.59% |
| Two or More Races | 1.29% | 1.32% | 2.33% |
| Black | 0.66% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.08% | 0% | 0% |
Papa 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 Papa is Italian, which comprises 36.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (20.4%) and French & German (10.2%). Additional ancestries include Greek & Balkan, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Filipino & Austronesian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Italian | 36.2% |
| British & Irish | 20.4% |
| French & German | 10.2% |
| Other | 33.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Papa
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 Papa have recent ancestry locations in Italy and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Campania, Italy | 55.40% |
| Sicily, Italy | 54.70% |
| Calabria, Italy | 54.10% |
| Apulia, Italy | 51.40% |
| Lazio, Italy | 51.40% |
What Papa 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 Papa is J-M67, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M67 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include J-L24 and T-L208, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Conti, D'Angelo, Held, Kraus, Blum, Lombardo, Ricci, Scott, Forster, Miller.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Papa surname are: H1, H, T2. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Papa 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.
"Papa" Surname 45.1%
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.
"Papa" Surname 12.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Papa" Surname 18.6%
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.
"Papa" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Papa?
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 Papa are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition