Explore the Family Name Atwood
The meaning of Atwood
English: topographic name from Middle English atte wode (Old English æt thǣm wuda) ‘by the wood’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Atwood in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Atwood saw a slight dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Its rank fell by 6.93%, moving from 1977 to 2114. Despite this drop in rank, the count of individuals with the Atwood surname actually increased by 2.14%, going from 16,754 to 17,112. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decrease of 6.6%, indicating that while the raw number of Atwoods has increased, their share of the total population has slightly fallen.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,977 | #2,114 | -6.93% |
| Count | 16,754 | 17,112 | 2.14% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.21 | 5.8 | -6.6% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Atwood
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows changes for those bearing the Atwood surname between 2000 and 2010. The majority identified as White, although this group saw a slight decrease from 92.38% to 90.69%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic both experienced growth, increasing by 54.29% and 52.69% respectively. Individuals who identify as belonging to two or more races also increased, rising from 1.33% to 1.86%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Atwoods identifying as Black slightly increased from 3.66% to 3.82%, whereas those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native fell from 0.61% to 0.53%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.38% | 90.69% | -1.83% |
| Black | 3.66% | 3.82% | 4.37% |
| Hispanic | 1.67% | 2.55% | 52.69% |
| Two or More Races | 1.33% | 1.86% | 39.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.54% | 54.29% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.61% | 0.53% | -13.11% |
Atwood 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 Atwood is British & Irish, which comprises 54.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.3%) and Scandinavian (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.3% |
| French & German | 23.3% |
| Scandinavian | 4.6% |
| Other | 17.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Atwood
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 Atwood have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
What Atwood 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 Atwood is R-S7200, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S7200 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS4188 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Coates, Slater, Shaw, Bryant, Patterson, Lawrence, Sutton, Porter, Randall, Ellis.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Atwood 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 Atwood 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.
"Atwood" Surname 46.0%
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.
"Atwood" Surname 38.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Atwood" Surname 22.0%
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.
"Atwood" Surname 21.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Atwood?
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 Atwood are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition