Explore the Family Name Tavares

The meaning of Tavares

Portuguese and western Spanish: habitational name from any of at least seven minor places so called in Portugal, of pre-Roman origin. Compare Tabares. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Carlos, Fernando, Juan, Luis, Pedro, Jorge, Humberto, Julio, Ana, Dulce. Portuguese Joao, Paulo, Duarte, Joaquim, Henrique, Armanda, Goncalo, Guilherme, Ligia, Margarida.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Tavares in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname "Tavares" has grown in popularity between 2000 and 2010. It rose in rank from 3130 to 2825, marking a positive change of 9.74%. The number of people bearing this surname also saw a significant increase. In 2000, there were 10,583 individuals with the Tavares surname, and by 2010, that number had risen to 12,766 — a surge of 20.63%. This growth was reflected in the proportion per 100,000 people, which increased from 3.92 to 4.33, indicating a 10.46% rise.

20002010Change
Rank#3,130#2,8259.74%
Count10,58312,76620.63%
Proportion per 100k3.924.3310.46%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tavares

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts amongst those with the Tavares surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Tavares individuals identifying as Hispanic increased by 13.98% during this decade, while those identifying as Black nearly doubled, growing by an impressive 89.59%. On the other hand, those reporting as having two or more races dropped dramatically by 59.81%, and those identifying as White saw a slight decrease of 3.71%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Tavares individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native both decreased slightly by 3.49% and 16.22% respectively.

20002010Change
White54.22%52.21%-3.71%
Hispanic26.76%30.5%13.98%
Black5.38%10.2%89.59%
Two or More Races10.7%4.3%-59.81%
Asian/Pacific Islander2.58%2.49%-3.49%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.37%0.31%-16.22%

Tavares 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 Tavares is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 53.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (12.2%) and French & German (5.9%). Additional ancestries include Indigenous American, Italian, Senegambian & Guinean, Filipino & Austronesian, and Eastern European.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Spanish & Portuguese53.3%
British & Irish12.2%
French & German5.9%
Other28.6%
Tavares

Possible origins of the surname Tavares

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 Tavares have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and United Kingdom.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Azores, Portugal58.00%
Madeira, Portugal57.30%
Lisbon, Portugal55.20%
Aveiro District, Portugal54.90%
Coimbra District, Portugal52.10%

What Tavares 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 Tavares 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 E-M183 and R-Z225, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ribeiro, Nunes, Martins, Alves, Lopes, Pereira, Medeiros, Souza, Almeida, Oliveira.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Tavares surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

tavaresPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your 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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Tavares 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

Tavares

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Tavares" Surname 33.8%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Tavares

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Tavares" Surname 37.1%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Tavares

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Tavares" Surname 14.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Tavares

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Tavares" Surname 16.5%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Tavares?

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 Tavares are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Spanish & Portuguese 56.3%

23andMe Users 57.2%