Explore the Family Name Baldwin
The meaning of Baldwin
1. English and North German: from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements bald ‘bold, brave’ + wine ‘friend’, which was extremely popular among the Normans and in Flanders in the early Middle Ages. It was the personal name of the Crusader who in 1100 became the first Christian king of Jerusalem, and of four more Crusader kings of Jerusalem. It was also borne by Baldwin, Count of Flanders (1172–1205), leader of the Fourth Crusade, who became first Latin Emperor of Constantinople (1204). In North America, this surname has absorbed Dutch forms such as Boudewijn. 2. Irish: surname adopted in Donegal by bearers of the Gaelic surname Ó Maolagáin (see Milligan), due to association of Gaelic maol ‘bald, hairless’ with English bald. History: A John Baldwin from Buckinghamshire, England, arrived in the US in 1638 and settled in Milford, CT.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Baldwin in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Baldwin witnessed slight shifts between 2000 and 2010. In terms of ranking, the surname Baldwin dropped from the 361st position in 2000 to the 395th in 2010, a decrease of roughly 9.42%. However, the actual count of people with this surname saw a slight increase, rising from 79,151 in 2000 to 80,742 by 2010 — an approximate growth of 2.01%. Despite this increase in count, the proportion per 100,000 individuals fell by about 6.71%, down to 27.37 from 29.34.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #361 | #395 | -9.42% |
| Count | 79,151 | 80,742 | 2.01% |
| Proportion per 100k | 29.34 | 27.37 | -6.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Baldwin
Discussing the ethnic identity of individuals carrying the surname Baldwin, based on information from the Decennial U.S. Census, reveals some interesting changes over the decade between 2000 and 2010. The White community held the largest share, although it decreased slightly by 2.84%, moving from 79.12% to 76.87%. The Black community came next, growing marginally from 16.51% to 17.25%. Considerable growth was seen within the Hispanic ethnicity, which increased by 50%, albeit from a smaller base, raising its share from 1.62% to 2.43%. Similarly, those identifying as two or more races saw their representation increase by 38.19%. There were also small increases in the Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities, at 26.83% and 3.33%, respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.12% | 76.87% | -2.84% |
| Black | 16.51% | 17.25% | 4.48% |
| Hispanic | 1.62% | 2.43% | 50% |
| Two or More Races | 1.44% | 1.99% | 38.19% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.9% | 0.93% | 3.33% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.52% | 26.83% |
Baldwin 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 Baldwin is British & Irish, which comprises 53.7% 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, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.7% |
| French & German | 23.8% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 18.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Baldwin
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 Baldwin have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.30% |
What Baldwin 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 Baldwin is R-Z156, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z156 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and I-L1290, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Graves, Small, Hickman, Atkinson, Stark, Adams, Land, Dick, Pace, Cartwright.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Baldwin surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
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.
What do people with the surname Baldwin 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.
"Baldwin" 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.
"Baldwin" Surname 27.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Baldwin" Surname 23.7%
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.
"Baldwin" Surname 19.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Baldwin?
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 Baldwin are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition