Explore the Family Name So

Possible origins of the surname So

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 So have recent ancestry locations all within China.

What So 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 So is O-F837, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F837 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F8 and O-CTS2498, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Luong, Tong, Tran, Chan, Xie, Cheung, Thai, Ha, He, Fu.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with So surname are: M, B4, D4. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Khasi-Khmuic groups of Southeast Asia

Haplogroup O2 is very common among several ethnic and linguistic groups in northeastern India, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Haplogroup O2 is particularly common among Khasi-Khmuic groups of Southeast Asia. It is possible that the Khasi, one of the Khasi-Khmuic ethnic groups, represent a genetic link between South Asian populations and Southeast Asian populations that diverged from each other during the massive human migration from Africa. During this migration 50,000-70,000 years ago, modern humans left Africa and began moving eastward, along the southern coast of Asia. These migrating humans very quickly reached South and East Asia, using the Western Indian corridor to enter India. They later used northeastern India as a corridor to reach Southeast Asia and Oceania. The Khasi people, among whom haplogroup O2 is common, may descend directly from this ancient human migration that is responsible for the peopling of much of the world.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han

Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.