Explore the Family Name Atherton
The meaning of Atherton
1. English: habitational name from a place near Manchester named Atherton, from the Old English personal name Æthelhere + Old English tūn ‘settlement’. 2. English: habitational name from Hatherton, Staffordshire, from Old English haguthorn + dūn ‘the hill where hawthorn grows’. 3. English (East Anglia): topographic name from Middle English at ther doune ‘(dweller) on the hill’ (Old English æt thǣre dūne). Through confusion of -don and -ton, Attherdoune was altered to Atherton, Adderton, and Atterton. 4. English: variant of Atterton, a habitational name from Atterton in Witherley, Leicestershire, possibly derived from the Old English personal name Æthelred or Ēadred + tūn ‘farmstead’. History: Major-General Humphrey Atherton arrived from England in 1636, settling at Dorchester, MA, and becoming governor of the colony. Joshua Atherton (1737–1809), probably a descendant of the major-general, was an early antislavery campaigner in MA.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Atherton in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Atherton has seen a mild decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5000th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 5382nd position, indicating a 7.64% reduction in rank. However, the actual number of individuals with this surname marginally increased, moving from 6,435 to 6,466, a growth of 0.48%. The proportion of individuals with the Atherton surname per 100k people also declined by 8.37%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,000 | #5,382 | -7.64% |
| Count | 6,435 | 6,466 | 0.48% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.39 | 2.19 | -8.37% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Atherton
Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that most individuals with the Atherton surname identify as White, with a slight decrease from 93.41% in 2000 to 92.16% in 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic or Black saw growths of 38.11% and 24.10% respectively. The proportions of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and two or more races remained stable at 0.59% and 1.59% respectively. Meanwhile, the percent of individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 25.81%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.41% | 92.16% | -1.34% |
| Hispanic | 2.44% | 3.37% | 38.11% |
| Black | 1.66% | 2.06% | 24.1% |
| Two or More Races | 1.59% | 1.59% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.59% | 0.59% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.31% | 0.23% | -25.81% |
Atherton 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 Atherton is British & Irish, which comprises 62.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.5%) and Scandinavian (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Eastern European, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 62.2% |
| French & German | 19.5% |
| Scandinavian | 3.5% |
| Other | 14.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Atherton
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 Atherton have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 92.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 92.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 92.60% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 92.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 92.60% |
What Atherton 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 Atherton is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L51 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Packer, Dodds, Chamberlin, Whiteside, Keim, Jewett, Duvall, Mast, Brantley, Ashcraft.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Atherton surname are: H1, T2b, 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 Atherton 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.
"Atherton" Surname 35.2%
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.
"Atherton" Surname 40.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Atherton" Surname 18.2%
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.
"Atherton" Surname 19.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Atherton?
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 Atherton are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition