Explore the Family Name Pizarro

The meaning of Pizarro

Spanish: from pizarra ‘slate’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived near a slate quarry or occupational name for someone who worked in one. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Luis, Carlos, Pedro, Ramon, Ricardo, Fernando, Juan, Raul, Ana, Angel, Edgardo.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Pizarro has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5627th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 4755th spot, marking a 15.5% boost. The total count of individuals with this surname has also surged by 31.6%, from 5658 in 2000 to 7446 in 2010. This rise was reflected in the proportion per 100,000 people, which increased by 20.0%, from 2.1 in 2000 to 2.52 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#5,627#4,75515.5%
Count5,6587,44631.6%
Proportion per 100k2.12.5220%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pizarro

As for ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of people with the Pizarro surname identify as Hispanic, with 83.72% in 2000 and slightly more, 84.78%, in 2010. The second largest group associates themselves with a White ethnic identity, however, their proportion decreased marginally from 6.80% in 2000 to 6.33% in 2010. Individuals identifying as Black saw an increase from 2.19% to 2.39%. The proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander slightly decreased, as did the percentage of individuals identifying with two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities.

20002010Change
Hispanic83.72%84.78%1.27%
White6.8%6.33%-6.91%
Asian/Pacific Islander6.1%5.88%-3.61%
Black2.19%2.39%9.13%
Two or More Races0.9%0.48%-46.67%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.28%0.13%-53.57%

Pizarro 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 Pizarro is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 41.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (17.5%) and British & Irish (8.6%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Filipino & Austronesian, Nigerian, Angolan & Congolese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Spanish & Portuguese41.4%
Indigenous American17.5%
British & Irish8.6%
Other32.6%
Pizarro

Possible origins of the surname Pizarro

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 Pizarro have recent ancestry locations all within Puerto Rico.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Naranjito, Puerto Rico32.90%
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico32.90%
Cayey, Puerto Rico32.90%
Carolina, Puerto Rico32.90%
Caguas, Puerto Rico32.90%

What Pizarro 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 Pizarro 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 G-P287 and E-M180, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dutra, Chaves, Arredondo, Narvaez, Menendez, Echevarria, Calvo, Cuellar, Holguin, Palacio.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Pizarro surname are: A2, H, B2. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

pizarroPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your 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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Pizarro 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

Pizarro

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Pizarro" Surname 43.8%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Pizarro

Misophonia

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

"Pizarro" Surname 42.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Pizarro

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Pizarro" Surname 15.2%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Pizarro

Migraine

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

"Pizarro" Surname 26.5%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Pizarro?

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 Pizarro 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

Spanish & Portuguese 56.3%

23andMe Users 57.2%