Explore the Family Name Babb
The meaning of Babb
1. English (Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall): from the Middle English personal name Babb(e), usually no doubt a pet form of the female personal name Barbara (see Barbara), but possibly in some cases a survival of the Old English personal name Babba, which is found in several placenames, including Babbacombe in Devon and Babington in Somerset. 2. English (Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall): from Middle English babe ‘infant, young child’, applied as a nickname. 3. Americanized form of German Bobb or of some other similar (like-sounding) surname.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Babb in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Babb saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Babb ranked as the 2609th most popular surname, falling to the 2820th position by 2010, representing an 8.09% drop. Despite this decline in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Babb surname increased modestly by 0.53%, from 12,726 in 2000 to 12,794 in 2010. The proportion of people named Babb per 100,000 also decreased by 8.05%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,609 | #2,820 | -8.09% |
| Count | 12,726 | 12,794 | 0.53% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.72 | 4.34 | -8.05% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Babb
The ethnicity distribution for the Babb surname, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, reveals several shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest percentage increase was among those identifying as Hispanic, which rose by 40.38%. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black also saw increases, at 27.27% and 9.31%, respectively. Those claiming two or more ethnic identities rose by 17.95%. On the other hand, the percentage of Babbs identifying as White decreased by 2.6%, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native dropped by 20%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.31% | 82.12% | -2.6% |
| Black | 10.85% | 11.86% | 9.31% |
| Hispanic | 2.13% | 2.99% | 40.38% |
| Two or More Races | 1.56% | 1.84% | 17.95% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.55% | 0.7% | 27.27% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.6% | 0.48% | -20% |
Babb 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 Babb is British & Irish, which comprises 55.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.8%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, Italian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.0% |
| French & German | 23.8% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 17.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Babb
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 Babb have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
What Babb 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 Babb is R-L664, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L664 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-M467 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dent, Willard, Couch, Swain, Ives, Hand, Judd, Neale, Keeney, Prendergast.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Babb surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Babb 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.
"Babb" Surname 42.7%
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.
"Babb" Surname 31.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Babb" Surname 26.3%
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.
"Babb" Surname 16.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Babb?
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 Babb are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition