Explore the Family Name Yadav
The meaning of Yadav
Indian (northern states): from Sanskrit yādava ‘descendant of Yadu’. Yadu was a legendary Hindu king, identified as an ancestor of the god Krishna (who for this reason is sometimes referred to as Yadava). Since Krishna is said to have been brought up among Ahirs, who were herdsmen, the surname Yadav is frequent among Ahirs. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Anil, Rajesh, Ram, Sunil, Ashok, Dharam, Mukesh, Prabhakar, Sanjay, Satish, Satya, Shiv.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Yadav in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Yadav has seen a substantial rise in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Yadav ranked as the 36,276th most common surname in the U.S., but by 2010 it had jumped to the 15,734th position, reflecting a notable increase of 56.63%. The count of individuals with the surname Yadav also experienced a significant growth during this time, rising from 583 in 2000 to 1,853 in 2010, a growth of 217.84%. Consequently, the proportion of people with the surname Yadav per 100,000 population increased from 0.22 to 0.63, marking a change of 186.36%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #36,276 | #15,734 | 56.63% |
| Count | 583 | 1,853 | 217.84% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.22 | 0.63 | 186.36% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yadav
Discussing the ethnic identity of the Yadav surname based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority have identified as Asian/Pacific Islander. This group has increased its share from 89.54% in 2000 to 94.01% in 2010, a change of 4.99%. Those identifying as two or more races decreased significantly, from 4.80% in 2000 to 1.94% in 2010, witnessing a change of -59.58%. The proportion of individuals identifying as White also fell from 4.63% to 3.18%, a decline of 31.32%. There was no representation from the Hispanic and Black groups in either year. Interestingly, a new group appeared in the 2010 census with a small proportion of the Yadavs reporting their ethnicity as American Indian and Alaskan Native, which was not present in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 89.54% | 94.01% | 4.99% |
| White | 4.63% | 3.18% | -31.32% |
| Two or More Races | 4.8% | 1.94% | -59.58% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.43% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Yadav 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 Yadav is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 77.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (7.9%) and Bengali & Northeast Indian (5.7%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, Southern Indian Subgroup, French & German, Scandinavian, and Gujarati Patidar.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 77.2% |
| Southern Indian & Sri Lankan | 7.9% |
| Bengali & Northeast Indian | 5.7% |
| Other | 9.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Yadav
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 Yadav have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in India, and Pakistan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Punjab, India | 21.60% |
| Gujarat, India | 19.30% |
| Uttar Pradesh, India | 17.00% |
| Tamil Nadu, India | 12.50% |
| Punjab, Pakistan | 10.20% |
What Yadav 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 Yadav is R-L266, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-L266 is descended from haplogroup R-M479. Other common haplogroups include L-M27 and R-L657, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Naik, Menon, Patil, Sheikh, Krishnan, Khan, Fernando, Kumar, Shaikh, Singh.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Yadav surname are: M, M5b_c, M30. These most commonly trace back to individuals of Central & South Asian and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M479
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Romani people
The Roma, who are also called "Gypsies" and "Romanies," are an ethnic group that originated in India and migrated to Europe 1,000 years ago. There are several different Roma populations, including Vlach Roma, who speak Hungarian and Romani languages, and Carpathian Roma, who speak exclusively Hungarian. Today, Roma populations mostly live in Southeastern and Central Europe, and make up about 7% of the total population in Hungary. Haplogroup R2a is also present in a Kuwaiti Bedouin population called the Awazim. It is possible that haplogroup R2a was brought into the Awazim population during the migration of the Roma people from India to Europe 1,000 years ago.
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.
What do people with the surname Yadav 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.
"Yadav" Surname 38.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Yadav" Surname 40.0%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Yadav" Surname 15.2%
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.
"Yadav" Surname 11.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Yadav?
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 Yadav are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition