Explore the Family Name Sandhu
The meaning of Sandhu
Indian (Punjab): Sikh name that goes back to the tribal name Sandhu or Sindhu, the name of the second largest Jat tribe in the Punjab. Originally Sindhu denoted the Indus river and the region through which it flows, part of which is still called Sind. The term Hindu and various names for India (Hind, Hindustan, and India itself) are derived from the Persian form of this name. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Avtar, Raghbir, Raj, Balwinder, Nirmal, Beant, Gurdial, Gursewak, Hardev, Harjeet, Jarnail, Jeet.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sandhu in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Sandhu has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the surname moved from 7,161st place in 2000 to 4,900th place in 2010, a change of approximately 31.57%. The count, or number of people with this surname, also saw an impressive increase of 67.29%, growing from 4,298 individuals in 2000 to 7,190 in 2010. This shift is reflected in the proportion per 100k people, which grew by 53.46% during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,161 | #4,900 | 31.57% |
| Count | 4,298 | 7,190 | 67.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.59 | 2.44 | 53.46% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sandhu
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of people with the Sandhu surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander in both 2000 and 2010. Their representation within this group rose by 8.53%, from 85.23% to 92.50%. Those identifying as two or more races experienced a significant decrease, from 8.98% to 2.95%. Individuals identifying as White, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native also noted decreases in their respective proportions. It's important to note that these shifts in ethnic identity do not necessarily reflect changes in individual identities, but rather the overall distribution among those with the Sandhu surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 85.23% | 92.5% | 8.53% |
| Two or More Races | 8.98% | 2.95% | -67.15% |
| White | 3.16% | 2.57% | -18.67% |
| Hispanic | 1.81% | 1.29% | -28.73% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.54% | 0.42% | -22.22% |
| Black | 0.28% | 0.26% | -7.14% |
Sandhu 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 Sandhu is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 86.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (5.8%) and French & German (2.3%). Additional ancestries include Central Asian, Bengali & Northeast Indian, Eastern European, Southern Indian & Sri Lankan, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 86.8% |
| British & Irish | 5.8% |
| French & German | 2.3% |
| Other | 5.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Sandhu
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 Sandhu have recent ancestry locations in Pakistan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Punjab, Pakistan | 70.80% |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | 10.10% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 10.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 10.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 10.10% |
What Sandhu 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 Sandhu is L-M357, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup L-M357 is descended from haplogroup L-M20. Other common haplogroups include R-Y7 and L-M2481, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dhillon, Singh, Yadav, Gill, Chaudhry, Khan, Malik, Mathew, Bhatia, Ali.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sandhu surname are: M, R0, M30. These most commonly trace back to individuals of Central & South Asian and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins L-M20Your 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 Sandhu 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.
"Sandhu" Surname 46.9%
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.
"Sandhu" Surname 34.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sandhu" Surname 20.9%
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.
"Sandhu" Surname 11.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sandhu?
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 Sandhu are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition