Explore the Family Name Belden

The meaning of Belden

1. English (Norfolk): either a habitational name from Beldon Hill in Manningham, Yorkshire, or a variant of Baildon, a habitational name from Baildon, Yorkshire. Compare Beldon, the northern English form of this surname. 2. Norwegian: habitational name from a farm name in western Norway, from bell ‘floor; peat layer’. History: Many bearers of this surname are descended from Richard Bayldon, who came from England to CT in 1645.

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

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

According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Belden ranked 6989th in popularity in the year 2000 and later slipped to the 7253rd position in 2010, a decrease of 3.78 percent. Over the same period, however, the number of individuals carrying the name increased by 4.05 percent, from 4421 to 4600. The proportion of the U.S. population with this surname per 100,000 people decreased slightly, from 1.64 in 2000 to 1.56 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#6,989#7,253-3.78%
Count4,4214,6004.05%
Proportion per 100k1.641.56-4.88%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Belden

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that in 2000, 94.14 percent of those with the Belden surname identified as White, decreasing to 93.2 percent in 2010. The percentage of Beldens identifying as Hispanic saw an increase of 25.50 percent over the same decade, while the proportion identifying as Black also rose, going from 0.70 percent to 1.02 percent. Small changes were also observed among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White94.14%93.2%-1%
Hispanic2.51%3.15%25.5%
Two or More Races1.54%1.5%-2.6%
Black0.7%1.02%45.71%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.63%0.67%6.35%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.48%0.46%-4.17%

Belden 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 Belden is British & Irish, which comprises 46.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.0%) and Spanish & Portuguese (6.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish46.9%
French & German26.0%
Spanish & Portuguese6.7%
Other20.5%
Belden

Possible origins of the surname Belden

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom86.60%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom86.60%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom86.60%
Merseyside, United Kingdom86.60%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom85.70%

What Belden 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 Belden is I-Z2058, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z2058 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-CTS616 and I-M223, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Waldo, Speer, Olmos, Spears, Spear, Coulter, Veach, Hine, Terrill, Bentz.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Belden surname are: U2_3_4_7_8_9, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

beldenPaternal 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 Belden 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

Belden

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Belden" Surname 38.5%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Belden

Misophonia

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

"Belden" Surname 27.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Belden

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Belden" Surname 22.9%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Belden

Migraine

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

"Belden" Surname 12.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Belden?

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 Belden 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%