Explore the Family Name Backman
The meaning of Backman
1. Swedish: ornamental name composed of the elements back(e) ‘hill’ + man ‘man’. 2. Swedish (Bäckman): ornamental name composed of the elements bäck ‘stream’ + man ‘man’. Compare Beckman. 3. Americanized form of German Backmann: occupational name for a baker or employee of a master baker, from backen ‘to bake’ + man(n) ‘man’. 4. Americanized form of German and Swiss German Bachmann. 5. English (Essex and Middlesex): from Middle English bak-man ‘maker or seller of pastries, tarts, or pies’ (Old English gebæc ‘baked goods, bakemeats’ + mann ‘man’). Compare Baker. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Bjorn, Egil, Erik, Hilma, Lasse, Nels, Sven.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Backman in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname 'Backman' saw a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 9978, but by 2010 it dropped slightly to a rank of 10034, marking a change of -0.56%. However, even with the drop in ranking, the total count of people identifying with the surname increased from 2984 in 2000 to 3210 in 2010, a rise of 7.57%. The proportion per 100k individuals also saw a small decline of 1.8%.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | #9,978 | #10,034 | -0.56% |
Count | 2,984 | 3,210 | 7.57% |
Proportion per 100k | 1.11 | 1.09 | -1.8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Backman
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the Backman surname is primarily associated with individuals of White ethnic identity, with 87.01% in 2010 down from 89.58% in 2000. However, there was also notable growth among those identifying as Hispanic and Black, with increases of 54.66% and 28.69% respectively over the decade. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation decreased by 28.38%, while those reporting two or more races saw a minor increase of 6.12%. Additionally, representation among American Indian and Alaskan Natives experienced a modest growth of 14.04%.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 89.58% | 87.01% | -2.87% |
Black | 6.03% | 7.76% | 28.69% |
Hispanic | 1.61% | 2.49% | 54.66% |
Two or More Races | 1.47% | 1.56% | 6.12% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.57% | 0.65% | 14.04% |
Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.74% | 0.53% | -28.38% |
Backman 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 Backman is British & Irish, which comprises 31.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Scandinavian (20.5%) and French & German (17.7%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Finnish, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
---|---|
British & Irish | 31.6% |
Scandinavian | 20.5% |
French & German | 17.7% |
Other | 30.2% |
![Backman](/_next/static/media/gb.dc1a9d97.webp)
Possible origins of the surname Backman
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 Backman have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
---|---|
Greater London, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
Merseyside, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
What Backman 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 Backman is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Backman surname are: H1, H, J1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
![backman](/_next/static/media/Map_paternal_O_blue.e82912a2.webp)
![Paternal Haplo Image](/_next/static/media/vietnam_halong_bay.914b72e1.webp)
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
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](/_next/static/media/marie_antoinette.b4819cf7.webp)
What do people with the surname Backman 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
Traits
Habits
Wellness
![Backman](/_next/static/media/migraine_diagnosis-blue.36a5b635.webp)
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Backman" Surname 23.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Backman?
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 Backman are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition