Explore the Family Name Austin
The meaning of Austin
1. English, French, and German: from the personal name Austin, from Latin Augustinus, a derivative of Augustus (see Augustin). This was an extremely common personal name in every part of Western Europe during the Middle Ages, owing its popularity chiefly to Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430), whose influence on Christianity is generally considered to be second only to that of Saint Paul. Various religious orders came to be formed following rules named in his honor, including the ‘Austin canons’, established in the 11th century, and the ‘Austin friars’, a mendicant order dating from the 13th century. The popularity of the personal name in England was further increased by the fact that it was borne by Saint Augustine of Canterbury (died c.605), an Italian Benedictine monk known as ‘the Apostle of the English’, who brought Christianity to southern England in 597 and founded the see of Canterbury. 2. English: variant of Aspden, with which this surname became confused. History: This was the name of a merchant family that became established in eastern MA in the 17th century, notably in Charlestown. Richard Austin came from England and landed at Boston in 1638, and his son Anthony was clerk of Suffield, CT, in 1674. The surname is very common in England as well as America; this Richard Austin was only one of a number of bearers who brought it to North America. — In 1821 Stephen F. Austin (1793–1836), born in Austinville, VA, founded the first Anglo colony in TX.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Austin in the United States?
The surname Austin has experienced a slight decrease in popularity over the decade, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Austin was ranked 241st most popular surname and by 2010, it had dropped to 253rd. Despite the drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Austin surname increased by 5.78% from 113,160 in 2000 to 119,706 in 2010. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decrease of -3.27%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #241 | #253 | -4.98% |
| Count | 113,160 | 119,706 | 5.78% |
| Proportion per 100k | 41.95 | 40.58 | -3.27% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Austin
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Austin based on the Decennial U.S. Census, we see some notable changes. The percentage of Austins identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, and Hispanic showed an increase between 2000 and 2010, with the Hispanic group experiencing the largest growth at 52.75%. There was a modest increase in Black Austins, while the percentage identifying as White saw a small decrease of -3.02%. The percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native Austins remained relatively stable with a slight decrease of -1.23%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 69.57% | 67.47% | -3.02% |
| Black | 25.5% | 26.01% | 2% |
| Hispanic | 1.82% | 2.78% | 52.75% |
| Two or More Races | 1.79% | 2.34% | 30.73% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.81% | 0.8% | -1.23% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.61% | 22% |
Austin 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 Austin is British & Irish, which comprises 51.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.0%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.9% |
| French & German | 22.0% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 22.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Austin
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 Austin have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
What Austin 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 Austin is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-L26 and E-M4451, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Thomas, Robinson, Taylor, Cooper, Smith, James, Price, Edwards, Brown, Mitchell.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Austin 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 Austin 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.
"Austin" Surname 40.2%
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.
"Austin" Surname 27.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Austin" Surname 22.2%
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.
"Austin" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Austin?
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 Austin are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition