Explore the Family Name Alden
The meaning of Alden
1. English: from a Middle English personal name. This is either Aldwin, Aldin (representing Old English Ealdwine with loss of -w-) or Middle English Alwin with an intrusive -d- (see Alwin), or Aldan, a variant of the Anglo-Scandinavian personal name Healfdene (see Haldane). 2. Norwegian: habitational name from a farmstead in western Norway, so named because of its situation below a high mountain Alden, from an unattested word ‘high, standing out’. History: John Alden (c.1599–1687) was one of the Pilgrim Fathers who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620. He moved from Plymouth to Duxbury, MA, c.1627. Many of his descendants were merchant seamen, among them James Alden (1810–77), who twice circumnavigated the globe.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Alden in the United States?
The surname Alden has shown a slight decrease in popularity over the decade, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Alden was ranked as the 5744th most popular surname in the United States with a count of 5,524 individuals carrying this last name. By 2010, the rank dropped to 5985 and the count increased to 5,748, marking a 4.06% increase in the number of people with Alden as their surname. However, the proportion of Aldens per 100,000 people decreased by 4.88%, indicating that while more people carry the name, its overall share of the population has slightly diminished.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,744 | #5,985 | -4.2% |
| Count | 5,524 | 5,748 | 4.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.05 | 1.95 | -4.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Alden
In terms of ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of Aldens identify as White, although this group saw a decrease of 2.48% between 2000 and 2010. The second largest ethnic identity group within the Alden surname is Hispanic, which grew by 25.24% in the same timeframe. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the number of Aldens identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, with a growth of 135.38%. Other groups such as those identifying as Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and those of two or more races also saw increases in representation among the Alden surname, though these changes were less dramatic.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.3% | 90.99% | -2.48% |
| Hispanic | 2.1% | 2.63% | 25.24% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.68% | 1.81% | 7.74% |
| Two or More Races | 1.12% | 1.69% | 50.89% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.65% | 1.53% | 135.38% |
| Black | 1.14% | 1.36% | 19.3% |
Alden 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 Alden is British & Irish, which comprises 46.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.0%) and Eastern European (5.9%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 46.8% |
| French & German | 24.0% |
| Eastern European | 5.9% |
| Other | 23.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Alden
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 Alden have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
What Alden 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 Alden is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-M467, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Buffington, Ramey, Carver, Allard, Cash, Ault, Rust, Foss, Higgs, Langley.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Alden surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Alden 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.
"Alden" Surname 31.7%
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.
"Alden" Surname 21.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Alden" Surname 14.3%
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.
"Alden" Surname 22.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Alden?
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 Alden are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition