Explore the Family Name Real
The meaning of Real
1. Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and Galician: habitational name from any of numerous places called Real; those in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal being named from real ‘royal’ or as variant of Rial, while those in southern Spain and Catalonia are named in part from real meaning ‘encampment, rural property’ (Arabic raḥāl ‘farmhouse, cabin’). Compare Del Real. 2. Spanish; French (Réal): from Spanish and Old French real ‘royal’, hence a nickname for someone who behaved in a regal manner, or an occupational name for someone in the service of the king, or a topographic name for someone who lived on a land belonging to the king. As a French name it may also be a habitational name from Réal (Pyrénées-Orientales), a place called for having been part of a royal domain (compare Reaux). 3. Possibly an altered form of German Riehl or Rühl, see Ruehl. 4. English: variant of Ryall or Rail. 5. Irish: from Ó Raghaill, see Rawl. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Juan, Guillermo, Jose, Carlos, Francisco, Luis, Ricardo, Alberto, Armando, Blanca, Lourdes, Manuel. Portuguese Joao, Joaquim.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Real in the United States?
The prevalence of the surname 'Real' has seen substantial growth in the United States, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, 'Real' ranked 5631 in popularity among all surnames and was carried by about 5654 individuals, or 2.1 out of every 100,000 people in the country. By 2010, the surname had climbed to rank 5045 in popularity, with a count of 6959 bearers. This represents an increase of 10.41% in ranking and a significant 23.08% boost in count over the decade, bringing its proportion per 100,000 people to 2.36.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,631 | #5,045 | 10.41% |
| Count | 5,654 | 6,959 | 23.08% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.1 | 2.36 | 12.38% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Real
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census shows some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The majority of bearers of the 'Real' surname identified as Hispanic in both census years, but their proportion increased from 53.27% to 60.11%. White individuals carrying the 'Real' name decreased from 36.66% to 30.09%, while those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw an increase from 4.44% to 5.76%. Individuals who identify with two or more races and those who are Black saw decreases in representation, from 1.33% to 1.05% and 3.86% to 2.50% respectively. The proportion of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively constant, with a slight increase from 0.44% to 0.49%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 53.27% | 60.11% | 12.84% |
| White | 36.66% | 30.09% | -17.92% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.44% | 5.76% | 29.73% |
| Black | 3.86% | 2.5% | -35.23% |
| Two or More Races | 1.33% | 1.05% | -21.05% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.49% | 11.36% |
Real 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 Real is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 25.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (24.6%) and French & German (15.1%). Additional ancestries include Indigenous American, Italian, Filipino & Austronesian, Eastern European, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 25.3% |
| British & Irish | 24.6% |
| French & German | 15.1% |
| Other | 35.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Real
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 Real have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Mexico.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 37.70% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 37.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 37.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 37.70% |
| Kent, United Kingdom | 36.90% |
What Real 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 Real is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-L460 and R-Z195, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Borrelli, Georges, Furtado, Neves, Barraza, Dan, Reinert, Ledesma, Grande, Pastor.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Real surname are: A2, H, B2. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Real 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.
"Real" Surname 51.7%
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.
"Real" Surname 31.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Real" Surname 20.0%
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.
"Real" Surname 16.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Real?
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 Real are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition