Explore the Family Name Acton
The meaning of Acton
English: habitational name from any of several places, especially in Shropshire and adjacent counties, named Acton. Generally, these are from Old English āc ‘oak’ + tūn ‘settlement’. In Ireland the surname has been established in Connacht since the 17th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Acton in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Acton witnessed a slight decrease in popularity in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it held the rank of 6674 among all surnames, dropping slightly to 6874 in 2010, representing a change of -3.0%. Despite this drop in rank, the number of individuals with the Acton surname actually increased from 4666 in 2000 to 4892 in 2010, an increase of 4.84%. However, when looked at as a proportion per 100k people, there was a decrease of -4.05%, moving from 1.73 to 1.66.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,674 | #6,874 | -3% |
| Count | 4,666 | 4,892 | 4.84% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.73 | 1.66 | -4.05% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Acton
On the ethnicity front, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a shift in the ethnic identity of individuals with the Acton surname. While the percentage of those identifying as White decreased slightly from 94.28% in 2000 to 91.86% in 2010, there were notable increases in other ethnic identities. The population identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw an increase of 73.86%, and those claiming two or more races increased by 79.76%. Those identifying as Hispanic also increased from 1.84% to 2.72%. There was a modest increase in the Black population from 1.56% to 1.76%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native population remained relatively stable at around 0.6%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.28% | 91.86% | -2.57% |
| Hispanic | 1.84% | 2.72% | 47.83% |
| Black | 1.56% | 1.76% | 12.82% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.88% | 1.53% | 73.86% |
| Two or More Races | 0.84% | 1.51% | 79.76% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.6% | 0.61% | 1.67% |
Acton 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 Acton is British & Irish, which comprises 60.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.9%) and Eastern European (2.8%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 60.5% |
| French & German | 22.9% |
| Eastern European | 2.8% |
| Other | 13.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Acton
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 Acton have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 92.70% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 92.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 92.70% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 92.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 92.70% |
What Acton 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 Acton is R-Y57, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y57 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Blackwell, Stapleton, Ash, Gary, Karr, North, Tomlinson, Keyes, Luke, Cross.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Acton surname are: H1, K1a, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Acton 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.
"Acton" Surname 33.3%
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.
"Acton" Surname 23.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Acton" Surname 23.1%
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.
"Acton" Surname 19.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Acton?
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 Acton are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition