Explore the Family Name Tam
The meaning of Tam
1. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 譚 and 談, and also a variant Romanization of the surname 覃, see Tan 1–3. 2. English and Scottish: from the Middle English personal name Tam, a pet form of Thomas. Compare Thom. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Wing, Kwok, Kam, Kin, Chun, Wai, Yuk, Siu, Chung, Man, Chi, Ding, Kwong, Pak, Shiu, Hak, Yeung, You, Choon, Chun Ho, Kok, Kum, Kun Ho, Sa.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Tam in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Tam saw a slight increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 2,723rd most common surname, but by 2010, it had risen to become the 2,703rd most common surname, marking a change of 0.73%. In terms of counts, there were 12,150 individuals with this surname in 2000, and this number increased to 13,327 in 2010, showing a growth of 9.69%. The proportion per 100,000 people also slightly increased from 4.5 to 4.52 during the same period.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | #2,723 | #2,703 | 0.73% |
Count | 12,150 | 13,327 | 9.69% |
Proportion per 100k | 4.5 | 4.52 | 0.44% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tam
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Tam, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there was a minor decrease in the Asian/Pacific Islander community from 90.41% in 2000 to 90.16% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of those identifying as White dropped by 6.25%, from 5.92% to 5.55%. However, there was an increase of 8.96% in those identifying with two or more races, moving from 2.12% to 2.31%. Those claiming Hispanic ethnicity jumped by 51.09%, from 0.92% to 1.39%, while the Black ethnicity group saw a small increase of 3.77%, going from 0.53% to 0.55%. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native group experienced a significant decrease of 44.44%, dropping from 0.09% to 0.05%.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
Asian/Pacific Islander | 90.41% | 90.16% | -0.28% |
White | 5.92% | 5.55% | -6.25% |
Two or More Races | 2.12% | 2.31% | 8.96% |
Hispanic | 0.92% | 1.39% | 51.09% |
Black | 0.53% | 0.55% | 3.77% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.09% | 0.05% | -44.44% |
Tam 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 Tam is Chinese, which comprises 67.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese Dai (9.7%) and Vietnamese (5.3%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, French & German, Filipino & Austronesian, Japanese, and Eastern European.
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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
---|---|
Chinese | 67.8% |
Chinese Dai | 9.7% |
Vietnamese | 5.3% |
Other | 17.3% |
![Tam](/_next/static/media/cn.419b4442.webp)
Possible origins of the surname Tam
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 Tam have recent ancestry locations all within China.
RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
---|---|
Guangdong, China | 85.30% |
Zhejiang, China | 82.30% |
Jiangsu, China | 82.00% |
Fujian, China | 82.00% |
Shanghai, China | 81.30% |
What Tam 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 Tam is O-F46, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F46 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F8 and C-M217, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Tom, Woo, Hom, Feng, Yuan, Li, Gao, Dong, Guo, Wei.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Tam surname are: F1a1, H, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
![tam](/_next/static/media/Map_paternal_O_orange.8d615d73.webp)
![Paternal Haplo Image](/_next/static/media/kula_exchange.f90ea66a.webp)
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many of the Massim groups of Papua New Guinea
Haplogroup O2a is prevalent among Massim ethnic groups, including the populations of Airara, Nomanby, the eastern tip of the mainland, the Trobriand Islands, Gawa, Woodlark, the Laughland Islands, and western Calvados. While Papua New Guinea has been inhabited for over 50,000 years, the Massim may have arrived in the last 2,000 years. Today, these populations remain connected through a traditional island trading system called the Kula Ring. Under this exchange system, residents ensure that goods that are only available on some islands, but that are vitally needed in other islands, are shared among the island populations. Only Massim men participate in the Kula exchange system, and it is common for men to be away from home for months at a time when trading with men from other islands.
Your 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.
![Maternal Haplo Image](/_next/static/media/jodhpur_women.9936b075.webp)
What do people with the surname Tam 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
Traits
Habits
Wellness
Are health conditions linked to the last name Tam?
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 Tam are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition