Explore the Family Name Via
The meaning of Via
1. Altered form of French Viar 1 or perhaps of some other similar (like-sounding) French surname, such as Vier 3 and Viat, a cognate of Viet 2. Alternatively, a Frenchified form of an unidentified German surname. Compare Viar 2, Viars, Vier 2, and Vire. 2. Italian (southern): from a short form of a personal name or surname ending with -via, for example Bellavia. 3. Italian (southern): from a variant of Bia, a personal name of Greek origin, a calque of Latin Vita ‘life’. 4. Spanish and Italian: habitational name from a place called Vía ‘way, path’. 5. Catalan: habitational name from a village called Via in Cerdanya. 6. In some cases possibly also southern French: habitational name from Via in Pyrénées-Orientales, named from the Latin personal name Avitius + the suffix -anum. This surname is very rare in France. 7. In some cases possibly also Breton (Côtes-d’Armor): unexplained. History: The progenitor of a large part of the American Vias is usually identified as Amer (William) Via, one of the French Huguenot settlers of Manakin, VA, in the early 1700s. He was born in the middle of the 17th century in Haute-Marne, France; his father was reportedly a German. The supposed original French form of the surname is sometimes given as De Viar. The surname Via (see 1 above) is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors (in this register, the Huguenot ancestor of the Vias is named Pierre Amer Via or Vias or Viet) and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin (in this register, the Huguenot ancestor is named simply Amer Via).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Via in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Via has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Via was ranked as the 6,649th most popular surname, however, by 2010 it had slipped to the 7,293rd spot, marking a drop of about 9.69 percent. The total count of individuals with the surname also saw a minor decrease from 4,689 in 2000 to 4,570 in 2010, indicating a 2.54 percent decrease. Consequently, the proportion per 100k population dropped by around 10.92 percent over the same decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,649 | #7,293 | -9.69% |
| Count | 4,689 | 4,570 | -2.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.74 | 1.55 | -10.92% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Via
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Via, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, has also experienced some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The majority identify as White, representing 83.26 percent in 2010, down from 84.43 percent in 2000. The Hispanic representation increased from 5.57 percent to 7.42 percent, while the Black percentage slightly decreased from 6.31 percent to 6.13 percent. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander reduced significantly by 51.64 percent, from 2.13 percent to 1.03 percent. However, those claiming two or more races increased considerably by 63.27 percent, up from 0.98 percent to 1.60 percent. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained relatively constant with a minor decrease of 1.72 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.43% | 83.26% | -1.39% |
| Hispanic | 5.57% | 7.42% | 33.21% |
| Black | 6.31% | 6.13% | -2.85% |
| Two or More Races | 0.98% | 1.6% | 63.27% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.13% | 1.03% | -51.64% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.58% | 0.57% | -1.72% |
Via 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 Via is British & Irish, which comprises 50.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.7%) and Eastern European (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Nigerian, Scandinavian, and Indigenous American.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.7% |
| French & German | 27.7% |
| Eastern European | 4.4% |
| Other | 17.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Via
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 Via have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.50% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 90.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.50% |
What Via 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 Via is J-L26, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-L26 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include E-P179 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Villasenor, Hinojosa, Durbin, Montgomery, Britt, Lathrop, Scalise, Strange, Delgadillo, Valdivia.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Via surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Via 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.
"Via" Surname 39.3%
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.
"Via" Surname 31.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Via" Surname 50.0%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Via" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Via?
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 Via are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition