Explore the Family Name Sierra
The meaning of Sierra
1. Spanish: habitational name from any of numerous places called (La) Sierra, from sierra ‘ridge or chain of hills’ (from Latin serra ‘saw’). Compare Cierra. 2. Catalan: Castilianized form of Serra, a cognate of 1 above. 3. Jewish (Sephardic): adoption of the Spanish surname (see 1 above) at the moment of conversion to Roman Catholicism. After the return to Judaism (generations later), some descendants retained the name their families used as Catholics. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Juan, Luis, Carlos, Manuel, Pedro, Jesus, Ana, Rafael, Roberto, Angel, Mario.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sierra in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Sierra has seen a significant increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Sierra was ranked 1227th most popular surname and by 2010, it had jumped up to the 973rd spot, showing a growth of 20.7%. The number of people carrying the Sierra surname also rose during this time period, with a count of 26,181 in 2000 increasing to 35,770 by 2010, a substantial 36.63% change. For every 100,000 people, approximately 9.71 had the Sierra surname in 2000; this proportion increased to 12.13 by 2010, marking a 24.92% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,227 | #973 | 20.7% |
| Count | 26,181 | 35,770 | 36.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.71 | 12.13 | 24.92% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sierra
Regarding ethnic identity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the Sierra surname is predominantly associated with Hispanic ethnicity. In 2000, 89.01% identified as Hispanic and this percentage slightly rose to 90.56% in 2010. However, the Sierra surname exists among other ethnicities as well, although at significantly smaller proportions. In 2000, 8.55% identified as White, dropping to 7.23% in 2010. Both the Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities saw minor changes from 2000 to 2010, with 0.52% to 0.64% and 0.53% to 0.51% respectively. The Black ethnicity decreased from 0.85% to 0.74% during the same period. The "Two or more races" category experienced the largest decrease, from 0.54% in 2000 to 0.32% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 89.01% | 90.56% | 1.74% |
| White | 8.55% | 7.23% | -15.44% |
| Black | 0.85% | 0.74% | -12.94% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.64% | 23.08% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.53% | 0.51% | -3.77% |
| Two or More Races | 0.54% | 0.32% | -40.74% |
Sierra 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 Sierra is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 44.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (23.0%) and British & Irish (11.2%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Italian, Senegambian & Guinean, Angolan & Congolese, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 44.4% |
| Indigenous American | 23.0% |
| British & Irish | 11.2% |
| Other | 21.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Sierra
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 Sierra have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Mexico City, Mexico | 44.90% |
| Sinaloa, Mexico | 44.90% |
| Jalisco, Mexico | 44.90% |
| Chihuahua, Mexico | 44.90% |
| Zacatecas, Mexico | 44.90% |
What Sierra 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 Sierra 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 Q-M3 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Gutierrez, Ruiz, Rivas, Alvarez, Diaz, Torres, Silva, Cano, Gonzalez, Cabrera.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sierra 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 some of the first Americans
Though the Ice Age was beginning to retreat when your A2 ancestors first entered North America, there were still massive barriers blocking their way. Glaciers and inhospitable climate covered much of the continent, blocking entry into the interior. Nonetheless, researchers have found evidence that a wave of American founders migrated over 13,000 kilometers to reach southern Chile in only 2,000 years, a blink of an eye in the story of human migration! Their highway to the south was the coast of the Pacific, stocked with fish, diverse marine mammals, and other valuable resources in the rich kelp forests of the upper latitudes and in the abundant fresh-water rivers near the equator. Because of this rapid movement south, the A2 haplogroup and its diverse branches are found throughout North and South America.
What do people with the surname Sierra 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.
"Sierra" Surname 37.8%
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.
"Sierra" Surname 36.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sierra" Surname 20.8%
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.
"Sierra" Surname 13.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sierra?
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 Sierra are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition