Explore the Family Name Amundson

The meaning of Amundson

Americanized form of Norwegian and Danish Amundsen or of the Swedish cognate Amundsson. This form of the surname is also found in Sweden. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Erik, Helmer, Thor, Alf, Anders, Arlys, Nils, Nordahl, Obert, Per, Sig, Tor.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Amundson saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 4,896 in terms of commonality and by 2010, it had dropped to 5,280, representing a rank change of -7.84%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname marginally increased from 6,589 to 6,594 over the same period, showing an insignificant growth rate of only 0.08%. The proportion of this surname per 100,000 people also slightly fell by 8.2% from 2.44 to 2.24.

20002010Change
Rank#4,896#5,280-7.84%
Count6,5896,5940.08%
Proportion per 100k2.442.24-8.2%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Amundson

As for the ethnic identity associated with the Amundson surname, Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that there were some changes from 2000 to 2010. A large majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, although this proportion decreased slightly from 96.89% to 95.44%. There were significant increases in those identifying as Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native, rising by 85.09% and 82.76%, respectively. Those identifying as Black also increased, although they still represented a small percentage of the total. Meanwhile, the proportions of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those claiming two or more races both changed; the former saw a decrease while the latter experienced an increase.

20002010Change
White96.89%95.44%-1.5%
Hispanic1.14%2.11%85.09%
Two or More Races1.08%1.32%22.22%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.29%0.53%82.76%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.47%0.39%-17.02%
Black0.14%0.21%50%

Amundson 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 Amundson is Scandinavian, which comprises 37.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (28.2%) and French & German (19.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Korean, Finnish, and Spanish & Portuguese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Scandinavian37.5%
British & Irish28.2%
French & German19.5%
Other14.8%
Amundson

Possible origins of the surname Amundson

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 Amundson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom73.60%
Merseyside, United Kingdom73.60%
Greater London, United Kingdom73.60%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom73.60%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom73.00%

What Amundson 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 Amundson is I-L22, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L22 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-P312 and I-Z60, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Knudson, Halvorson, Paulsen, Lundin, Wold, Thorson, Johnsen, Samuelson, Iverson, Evenson.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Amundson surname are: H1, H5a1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

amundsonPaternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to many northern European men

If you have haplogroup I1a1b, your paternal line stems from a young branch of I-M253 called I-L22, which likely arose in the last 3,000 years. I-L22 is most common in Northern Europe, but a recent study found that this haplogroup was present in a significant portion of the Partecipanza population living in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy. The area of San Giovanni in Persiceto was involved in a migration period in 728 AD, when it became part of the Lombard kingdom, under King Aistulf. San Giovanni in Persiceto was only under Lombard rule for 48 years, after which the Lombards were defeated by King Charlemagne in 776 AD. There are several characteristics of San Giovanni in Persiceto that link it to other Lombard settlements. For instance, some research suggests San Giovanni in Persiceto was the seat of a Lombard Duke between 750 and 800 AD. It is possible that the Lombards who ruled over San Giovanni in Persiceto played an important role in the introduction and growth of haplogroup I-L22 in the region.

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 Amundson 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

Amundson

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Amundson" Surname 51.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Amundson

Misophonia

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

"Amundson" Surname 31.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Amundson

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Amundson" Surname 21.2%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Amundson

Migraine

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

"Amundson" Surname 20.5%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Amundson?

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 Amundson 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

Scandinavian 62.9%

23andMe Users 57.2%