Explore the Family Name Vu
The meaning of Vu
1. Vietnamese (Vũ): from the Chinese surname 武, see Wu 3. 2. Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 巫, see Wu 2. 3. Chinese: alternative Cantonese form of the surname 鄔, see Wu 5. 4. Chinese: alternative Cantonese form of the surname 胡, see Hu 1. 5. Southeast Asian (Hmong): variant of Vue. Some characteristic forenames: Vietnamese Hung, Tuan, Thanh, Dung, Minh, Hoa, Hai, Cuong, Long, Tien, Binh, Hoang, Tam, Thai, Phong, Nam, Manh, Sinh, Tinh, Chung, Tuong, Neng, Tham, Thein. Chinese Hong, Chi, Hang, Chien, Han, Ho, Chan, Dong, Lai, Tao, Choung, Man.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Vu in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Vu has seen substantial growth in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In this period, the ranking of Vu surged from 1247 to 962, marking a considerable ascent of 22.85%. The count of people with this surname also expanded by 40.08% from 25,828 to 36,179. Furthermore, its proportion per 100,000 individuals saw an increase of 28.11%, shifting from 9.57 to 12.26.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,247 | #962 | 22.85% |
| Count | 25,828 | 36,179 | 40.08% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.57 | 12.26 | 28.11% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Vu
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Vu, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, there is a strong association with the Asian/Pacific Islander community. In both 2000 and 2010, more than 96% of individuals bearing this surname identified themselves within this group, with a minor rise of 0.39% over the decade. The data also indicates a slight increase of 0.60% in individuals identifying with two or more races. Meanwhile, there was a significant decrease of 29.25% among those who identified as White, and the numbers for Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities were suppressed for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 96.23% | 96.61% | 0.39% |
| Two or More Races | 1.67% | 1.68% | 0.6% |
| White | 1.47% | 1.04% | -29.25% |
| Hispanic | 0.46% | 0.58% | 26.09% |
| Black | 0.12% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.05% | 0% | 0% |
Vu 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 Vu is Vietnamese, which comprises 86.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (3.3%) and Chinese (2.6%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Chinese Dai, Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma, Spanish & Portuguese, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Vietnamese | 86.8% |
| British & Irish | 3.3% |
| Chinese | 2.6% |
| Other | 7.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Vu
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 Vu have recent ancestry locations all within Vietnam.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam | 93.00% |
| Hanoi, Viet Nam | 92.10% |
| Thua Thien Hue, Viet Nam | 86.60% |
| Da Nang, Viet Nam | 68.20% |
| Nam Dinh, Viet Nam | 63.50% |
What Vu 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 Vu is O-F1863, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F1863 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F2758 and O-F8, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pham, Vo, Nguyen, Bui, Hoang, Dinh, Le, Tran, Phan, Do.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Vu surname are: F1a1, F1a_c, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359Your 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.
What do people with the surname Vu 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.
"Vu" Surname 24.4%
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.
"Vu" Surname 29.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Vu" Surname 20.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Vu" Surname 6.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Vu?
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 Vu are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition