Explore the Family Name San
The meaning of San
1. Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name, from san ‘moon’, also ‘good luck’, or from a homonym meaning ‘spring (of water)’. See also 2 below. 2. Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name, from hsan ‘to be extraordinary’. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames, these names (see also 1 above) were registered as such only after immigration of their bearers to the US. 3. Cambodian: written សាន្ត, from a Khmer word meaning ‘(to be) calm, comfortable’, of Sanskrit origin. 4. Cambodian: written សាន or សាន់, unexplained. 5. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 申 and 慎, see Shen 2 and 3. 6. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 辛, see Xin 1. 7. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 山, see Shan 2. 8. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 冼 and 洗, see Xian 1. 9. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 盛, see Sheng. 10. Turkish: ornamental name or nickname from san ‘fame, reputation’ or from a regional homonym meaning ‘wish’. Some characteristic forenames: Southeast Asian Khin, Pui, Sokhom, Heng, Kin, Kin Hong, Kun, Lai, Leong, Man, Ming, Ouk, Senh, Ly, Mui, Pha, Phal, Pham, Tha, Tran, Coong, Dam, Duy, Hanh, Noy, Hoeun, Noeun, Phath, Roeuth, Samoeun, Soeum, Sophat, Sovann, Yoeun, Pong, Savuth, Thai.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name San in the United States?
According to data drawn from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname 'San' grew in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 14,983rd most common surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 11,512th spot - an increase of 23.17%. The number of people with this last name also increased significantly during this period, from 1,810 in 2000 to 2,732 in 2010, marking a growth rate of 50.94%. The proportional representation of this surname per 100,000 individuals also increased, going up by 38.81% to reach 0.93 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,983 | #11,512 | 23.17% |
| Count | 1,810 | 2,732 | 50.94% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.67 | 0.93 | 38.81% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name San
Looking at ethnicity distribution, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that a majority of those with the 'San' surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander in both years. This group saw a slight increase, from 74.25% in 2000 to 76.46% in 2010. There was also a notable rise in the proportion of Hispanics, which went up by 27.41% over the decade. On the other hand, the percentage of individuals identifying as having two or more races declined sharply by 70.11%. Small decreases were also seen among those identifying as White, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native, falling by 5.22%, 15.69%, and 21.31% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 74.25% | 76.46% | 2.98% |
| Hispanic | 9.34% | 11.9% | 27.41% |
| White | 8.23% | 7.8% | -5.22% |
| Black | 2.04% | 1.72% | -15.69% |
| Two or More Races | 5.52% | 1.65% | -70.11% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.61% | 0.48% | -21.31% |
San 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 San is Chinese, which comprises 24.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma (15.6%) and Vietnamese (11.4%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Chinese Dai, Indigenous American, British & Irish, and Anatolian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 24.1% |
| Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma | 15.6% |
| Vietnamese | 11.4% |
| Other | 49.0% |
Possible origins of the surname San
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 San have recent ancestry locations in China and Vietnam.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 45.80% |
| Fujian, China | 44.60% |
| Shandong, China | 44.60% |
| Shanghai, China | 43.40% |
| Zhejiang, China | 43.40% |
What San 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 San is O-M1348, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-M1348 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and O-F8, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lum, Yeo, Sam, Chau, Tong, Ling, Santos, Leon, Chun, Diaz.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with San surname are: M, B4, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many Indian ethnic groups
Haplogroup O1b1a1a is thought to have arisen in India, roughly 25,000 to 40,000 years ago, and is present in many Indian ethnic groups today. The Indian subcontinent holds four major language groups, called Austro-Asiatic, Dravidian, Indo-European, and Tibeto-Burman. Haplogroup O-M95 likely originated in Indian Austro-Asiatic populations. Its early members carried both the O1-M95 haplogroup and Austro-Asiatic languages further into Southeast Asia through the Northeast Indian corridor. Current research suggests migrating members of O-M95 left eastern India traveling east, through Myanmar, southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, and ended in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. One study found that 100% of a Nicobar Island population belonged to haplogroup O-M95.
Your 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 San 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.
"San" Surname 64.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"San" Surname 26.3%
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.
"San" Surname 10.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name San?
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 San are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition