Explore the Family Name Bannister
The meaning of Bannister
English (of Norman origin): from Old French banaste, banastre ‘covering for a cart or wagon; basket’, i.e. a large wicker container. In the 12th century a Norman family of this name had estates in Orne, Normandy, and in England. Ricardus Banastre appears in charters relating to the Earls of Chester c.1120–9. With what sense the Norman surname was acquired is unknown. It can hardly have been occupational, contrary to Reaney’s view that it denoted a basket maker. It is possible that many or even all of the later bearers of the surname were descended from this knightly family. However, several men with this surname in the 14th-century Poll Tax Returns are described as servants or agricultural laborers, while Ricardus Banastr’, recorded in 1381 was a butcher. It is conceivable that these men took their name from Middle English banastre, a borrowing of the French word, and that it referred to a basket or hamper they used in their work. Alternatively, they may have belonged to branches of the knightly family that had fallen in the social scale. The term denoting a stair rail is unconnected with this name; it was not used before the 17th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bannister in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Bannister has seen a slight decline in its popularity between 2000 and 2010, moving from rank 4019 to 4105. This represents a decrease of around 2.14%. However, the count of people with this surname increased by 6.52% during this period, rising from 8110 in 2000 to 8639 in 2010. Despite the increase in count, the proportion per 100,000 individuals fell by 2.66%, indicating that other surnames may have grown in popularity at a faster rate over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,019 | #4,105 | -2.14% |
| Count | 8,110 | 8,639 | 6.52% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.01 | 2.93 | -2.66% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bannister
With regard to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Bannister from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of Bannisters identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew by 23.40%, while those identifying with two or more races saw an increase of 33.50%. The largest growth was observed in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category, which saw a rise of 66.67%. On the other hand, the proportion of White Bannisters decreased by 3.45%, although they still represent the majority. Hispanic Bannisters increased by 44.5%, and Black Bannisters saw a modest increase of 1.26%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.1% | 68.65% | -3.45% |
| Black | 23.05% | 23.34% | 1.26% |
| Hispanic | 2.18% | 3.15% | 44.5% |
| Two or More Races | 2% | 2.67% | 33.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.41% | 1.74% | 23.4% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.27% | 0.45% | 66.67% |
Bannister 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 Bannister is British & Irish, which comprises 59.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.5%) and Scandinavian (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 59.2% |
| French & German | 16.5% |
| Scandinavian | 3.5% |
| Other | 20.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Bannister
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 Bannister have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
What Bannister 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 Bannister is R-Y4010, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y4010 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and R-Z346, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Fenton, Ramsey, Corbett, Sanders, Maloney, Mangum, Kersey, Crowe, Callahan, Carney.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bannister surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Bannister 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.
"Bannister" Surname 42.3%
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.
"Bannister" Surname 26.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bannister" Surname 19.8%
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.
"Bannister" Surname 16.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bannister?
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 Bannister are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition