Explore the Family Name Sen
The meaning of Sen
1. Indian (West Bengal) and Bangladeshi: Baidya and Kayastha name, from Sanskrit sena ‘army, armament’. It occurs frequently in Sanskrit literature as the final element of compound names. 2. Turkish (Şen): ornamental name or nickname from şen ‘cheerful, joyous’. 3. Chinese: alternative Cantonese form of the surnames 冼 and 洗, see Xian 1. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 孫, see Sun 1. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Amitava, Arun, Ashok, Chandra, Dipankar, Amit, Amitabha, Dev, Harsha, Santanu, Somnath, Tapan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sen in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Sen' has seen a significant increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it held the rank of 14,044 but jumped to 10,491 by 2010, marking a 25.3% rise in the ranks. The count of people having this surname also escalated from 1,969 to 3,059 during this period, showing a considerable growth rate of 55.36%. Furthermore, the proportion of this surname per 100k residents rose from 0.73 to 1.04, signifying a 42.47% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,044 | #10,491 | 25.3% |
| Count | 1,969 | 3,059 | 55.36% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.73 | 1.04 | 42.47% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sen
In terms of ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of people with the surname 'Sen' identified as Asian/Pacific Islander in both 2000 and 2010, with a slight increase from 74% to 75.48%. Those identifying as White increased slightly from 15.79% to 16.12%, while the Hispanic population saw the largest percentage change, increasing from 2.13% to 2.97%. However, there was a significant decrease in those identifying as two or more races, dropping from 7.26% in 2000 to 4.58% in 2010. Unfortunately, the data for Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native populations were suppressed for privacy concerns.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 74% | 75.48% | 2% |
| White | 15.79% | 16.12% | 2.09% |
| Two or More Races | 7.26% | 4.58% | -36.91% |
| Hispanic | 2.13% | 2.97% | 39.44% |
| Black | 0.46% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.36% | 0% | 0% |
Sen 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 Sen is Bengali & Northeast Indian, which comprises 30.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese (11.3%) and Anatolian (10.0%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, Northern Indian & Pakistani, Eastern European, Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Bengali & Northeast Indian | 30.6% |
| Chinese | 11.3% |
| Anatolian | 10.0% |
| Other | 48.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Sen
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 Sen have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Bangladesh, and United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Dhaka Division, Bangladesh | 19.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 18.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 18.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 18.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 17.30% |
What Sen 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 Sen is H-M2914, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup H-M2914 is descended from haplogroup H-L901. Other common haplogroups include O-M1359 and H-M52, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Agarwal, Jain, Gupta, Iqbal, Zaman, Agrawal, Rahman, Rehman, Akhtar, Raza.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sen surname are: M, N, R. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins H-L901Your 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 Sen 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.
"Sen" Surname 47.6%
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.
"Sen" Surname 42.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sen" Surname 22.6%
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.
"Sen" Surname 12.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sen?
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 Sen are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition