Explore the Family Name Vieira

The meaning of Vieira

Portuguese and Galician: habitational name from any of the places called Vieira in Portugal and Galicia (Spain) (Pontevedra), possibly a derivative of via ‘way’, or named with vieira ‘scallop’ (from veneria, a derivative of the name Venus), a symbol of the pilgrim who had been to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela. Compare Viera, Vierra, and Vieyra. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Carlos, Fernando, Mario, Francisco, Americo, Armando, Luis, Jaime, Jorge, Alvaro. Portuguese Joao, Joaquim, Paulo, Conceicao, Henrique, Manoel, Albano, Aloisio, Batista, Catarina, Duarte, Ilidio.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Vieira has seen an increase in popularity in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Vieira was ranked as the 3,571st most popular surname in the country. By 2010, it had moved up to the 3,425th spot, marking a growth of just over 4%. The number of people with the last name Vieira also increased during this period, from 9,129 to 10,420, showing a rise of 14.14%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals named Vieira per 100,000 people went up by 4.44%.

20002010Change
Rank#3,571#3,4254.09%
Count9,12910,42014.14%
Proportion per 100k3.383.534.44%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Vieira

When evaluating the ethnicity data provided by the Decennial U.S. Census, there's been a notable shift among those bearing the surname Vieira from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of Asians/Pacific Islanders and Blacks with this surname have both more than doubled, increasing by 111.86% and 110.84% respectively. There's also been a moderate rise in the percentage of Hispanics (7.82%) and Whites (3.49%). On the other hand, the group identifying as two or more races saw a significant decrease of 75.08% during this time. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native group experienced a 53.33% boost, albeit they represent a small fraction of individuals with the Vieira surname.

20002010Change
White80.57%83.38%3.49%
Hispanic6.01%6.48%7.82%
Black2.86%6.03%110.84%
Two or More Races9.67%2.41%-75.08%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.59%1.25%111.86%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.3%0.46%53.33%

Vieira 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 Vieira is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 58.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (13.1%) and French & German (6.4%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Indigenous American, Eastern European, Nigerian, and Angolan & Congolese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Spanish & Portuguese58.8%
British & Irish13.1%
French & German6.4%
Other21.6%
Vieira

Possible origins of the surname Vieira

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 Vieira have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and United Kingdom.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Azores, Portugal71.80%
Madeira, Portugal71.50%
Aveiro District, Portugal69.50%
Lisbon, Portugal68.20%
Porto District, Portugal63.70%

What Vieira 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 Vieira 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 J-L26 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ribeiro, Gomes, Sousa, Souza, Nunes, Barbosa, Pereira, Dias, Fonseca, Medeiros.

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

vieiraPaternal 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 Vieira 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

Vieira

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Vieira" Surname 37.7%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Vieira

Misophonia

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

"Vieira" Surname 30.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Vieira

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Vieira" Surname 22.1%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Vieira

Migraine

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

"Vieira" Surname 16.4%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Vieira?

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 Vieira 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%