Explore the Family Name Rana
The meaning of Rana
1. Indian (Gujarat, Mumbai, and Rajasthan) and Nepali: Rajput name meaning ‘king’ in modern Indian languages. Rana does not have a Sanskrit equivalent; it is probably a back-formation from rāṇī ‘queen’ (Sanskrit rājñī, based on the analogy that nouns ending in -ī and denoting females usually have a masculine counterpart ending in -ā). The name Rana was used as a title by some Rajput kings. 2. Spanish and Italian: from rana ‘frog’, used as a nickname, perhaps for someone with bulging eyes or a croaky voice. 3. Galician (Raña): habitational name from a place so called in the province of A Coruña, Spain. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Pravin, Bharat, Ashok, Ramesh, Jayanti, Rajendra, Vijay, Ajay, Ajit, Anil, Arvind, Atul. Arabic/Muslim Mohammad, Muhammad, Khalid, Riaz, Tariq, Aslam, Naeem, Shahid, Aamer, Anwar, Jameela, Nasim.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rana in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rana significantly increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Rana ranked 7,920 in terms of surname prevalence, but by 2010, it had risen to rank 4,923, marking a change of approximately 37.84%. Similarly, the count of individuals with the Rana surname saw an impressive growth of 84.39%, escalating from 3,875 in 2000 to 7,145 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of the Rana surname in the population per 100,000 people also grew by 68.06% within the same timeframe.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,920 | #4,923 | 37.84% |
| Count | 3,875 | 7,145 | 84.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.44 | 2.42 | 68.06% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rana
When it comes to ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the surname "Rana" is predominantly associated with Asian/Pacific Islander ethnic identity. From 2000 to 2010, this association rose from 73.70% to 83.22%, indicating an approximate increase of 12.92%. However, the proportion of those identifying as two or more races decreased notably by 65.65%. The representation of the surname Rana among White and Hispanic ethnicities both contracted by 21.41% and 24.25% respectively. Similarly, its occurrence in the Black community also fell by 30.59%. Interestingly, the percentage of those with the Rana surname who identify as American Indian and Alaskan Native experienced a slight uptick from 0.44% to 0.55%, growing by 25.00% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 73.7% | 83.22% | 12.92% |
| White | 13.45% | 10.57% | -21.41% |
| Two or More Races | 8.88% | 3.05% | -65.65% |
| Hispanic | 2.68% | 2.03% | -24.25% |
| Black | 0.85% | 0.59% | -30.59% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.55% | 25% |
Rana 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 Rana is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 53.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Bengali & Northeast Indian (10.8%) and British & Irish (8.0%). Additional ancestries include Southern Indian & Sri Lankan, French & German, Italian, Chinese, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 53.9% |
| Bengali & Northeast Indian | 10.8% |
| British & Irish | 8.0% |
| Other | 27.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Rana
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 Rana have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Pakistan, and India.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Punjab, Pakistan | 30.10% |
| Gujarat, India | 19.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 15.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 15.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 15.90% |
What Rana 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 Rana is R-Y7, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y7 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-L23 and LT-P326, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Rahman, Sharma, Malik, Mirza, Ahmad, Kumar, Shaikh, Zaman, Ahmed, Ali.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Rana surname are: M, H, U7. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Rana 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.
"Rana" Surname 58.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Rana" Surname 27.3%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Rana" Surname 47.1%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Rana" Surname 12.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Rana?
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 Rana are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition