Explore the Family Name Babbitt

The meaning of Babbitt

English (Suffolk and Somerset): variant of Bobbitt. This surname is now extinct in Britain. History: The founder of the American Babbitt family was Edward Bobet, who came to Plymouth Colony in 1643.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Babbitt has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. Occupying the 5982nd rank in 2000, it fell to the 6395th position in 2010, marking a drop of 6.9%. However, the count of individuals bearing this surname saw a marginal increase of 0.38% during the same decade, rising from 5300 to 5320 people. The proportion per 100k also decreased by 8.16%, from 1.96 in 2000 to 1.8 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#5,982#6,395-6.9%
Count5,3005,3200.38%
Proportion per 100k1.961.8-8.16%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Babbitt

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Babbitt also underwent significant changes, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority of Babbitts identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, their percentage declined slightly from 90.68% to 89.02%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black or Hispanic experienced an increase, with the former rising by 23.68% and the latter by 24.66%. There was also a notable increase of 42.42% among Babbitts identifying with two or more races. Conversely, the proportions of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 22.08% and 6.33% respectively.

20002010Change
White90.68%89.02%-1.83%
Black3.42%4.23%23.68%
Hispanic2.23%2.78%24.66%
Two or More Races1.32%1.88%42.42%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.58%1.48%-6.33%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.77%0.6%-22.08%

Babbitt 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 Babbitt is British & Irish, which comprises 47.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.2%) and Eastern European (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Korean.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish47.9%
French & German27.2%
Eastern European5.4%
Other19.5%
Babbitt

Possible origins of the surname Babbitt

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
West Midlands, United Kingdom84.50%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom84.50%
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom84.50%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom84.50%
Greater London, United Kingdom84.50%

What Babbitt 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 Babbitt is I-CTS10057, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-CTS10057 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-S12195 and I-M223, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ralston, Rader, Custer, Hatch, Whittle, Keeler, Riddle, Buell, Kester, Castor.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Babbitt surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

babbittPaternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170

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 Babbitt 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

Babbitt

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Babbitt" Surname 35.3%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Babbitt

Misophonia

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

"Babbitt" Surname 26.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Babbitt

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Babbitt" Surname 13.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Babbitt

Migraine

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

"Babbitt" Surname 12.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Babbitt?

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 Babbitt 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

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%