Explore the Family Name Serra
The meaning of Serra
1. Italian, Portuguese, and Catalan: topographic name from Italian, Portuguese, Catalan serra ‘ridge or chain of hills; mountain range’ (from Latin serra ‘saw’), or a habitational name from any of various places called with this word, in Italy e.g. Serra d’Aniello and Serra Pedace (Cosenza), Serra San Bruno (Vibo Valentia), and Serracapriola (Foggia), in Valencia and Catalonia (Spain) e.g. Serra d’Almos or Serra d’en Galceran. 2. Catalan (Serrà): topographic name for someone who lived by a sierra, from Catalan serrà, an adjective derived from serra (see 1 above), the same as Castilian Serrano. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Juan, Eduardo, Francisco, Jorge, Mario, Enrique, Jaime, Luis, Manuel, Miguel, Ramon. Italian Antonio, Angelo, Enrico, Guido, Salvatore, Amedeo, Elio, Marco, Nicolo, Sandro, Caesar, Carlo. Portuguese Henrique, Joaquim.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Serra in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the Serra surname saw an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the name improved from 5747 in 2000 to 5674 in 2010, showing a positive change of 1.27%. In terms of absolute count, there were 5522 individuals with the Serra surname in 2000, which increased to 6114 by 2010, representing a significant rise of 10.72%. The proportion per 100,000 people also witnessed a slight increase from 2.05 to 2.07 during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,747 | #5,674 | 1.27% |
| Count | 5,522 | 6,114 | 10.72% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.05 | 2.07 | 0.98% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Serra
When it comes to ethnic identity associated with the Serra surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The highest percentage was seen in the White category, although it decreased from 72.47% in 2000 to 67.19% in 2010. The Hispanic category saw an increase of 20.03%, moving from 23.76% to 28.52% over the ten-year period. There was a notable increase in the representation from the Asian/Pacific Islander group, rising from 1.94% to 2.76%, while the Black category also showed an increase, albeit minor, from 0.42% to 0.69%. The two categories that saw a decrease were those identifying as Two or more races (from 1.30% to 0.75%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (declining from 0.11% to 0.08%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.47% | 67.19% | -7.29% |
| Hispanic | 23.76% | 28.52% | 20.03% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.94% | 2.76% | 42.27% |
| Two or More Races | 1.3% | 0.75% | -42.31% |
| Black | 0.42% | 0.69% | 64.29% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.11% | 0.08% | -27.27% |
Serra 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 Serra is Italian, which comprises 23.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Spanish & Portuguese (23.2%) and British & Irish (18.6%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Indigenous American, Eastern European, Filipino & Austronesian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Italian | 23.6% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 23.2% |
| British & Irish | 18.6% |
| Other | 34.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Serra
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 Serra have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Sicily, Italy | 41.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 40.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 40.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 40.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 39.50% |
What Serra 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 Serra is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include G-P303 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Buehler, Bauer, Pinto, Basile, Costa, Graziano, Hartman, Miller, Rizzo, Gentile.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Serra surname are: H1, H, V. 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 Serra 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.
"Serra" Surname 41.0%
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.
"Serra" Surname 31.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Serra" Surname 19.5%
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.
"Serra" Surname 14.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Serra?
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 Serra are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition