Explore the Family Name Belk
The meaning of Belk
1. English (Yorkshire): habitational name from Belph in Whitwell, Derbyshire, whose Middle English form Belgh, pronounced /bɛlχ/, developed in the 16th century to Belth and Belph (pronounced with final [f]). The surname preserves an alternative Middle English pronunciation with final [k] for [χ]. 2. German: variant of Belke.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Belk in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Belk in the U.S. has seen an increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Belk was ranked 5,421st in terms of commonality among surnames but jumped to the 5,085th position by 2010, a 6.2% change. The actual count of individuals with the last name Belk also grew from 5,914 to 6,886 during the same period, showing a rise of 16.44%. The proportion of Belks per 100,000 people likewise increased by 6.39%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,421 | #5,085 | 6.2% |
| Count | 5,914 | 6,886 | 16.44% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.19 | 2.33 | 6.39% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Belk
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Belk has also experienced shifts from 2000 to 2010 based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, roughly 76.36% of people with the Belk surname identified as White, which slightly decreased to 75.59% by 2010. The Black population with this surname also saw a small decrease of 4.73%, coming down from 20.49% to 19.52%. However, there were notable increases in other ethnicities. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders with the surname Belk rose significantly by 196.3%, albeit from a small base of 0.27% to 0.80%. Similarly, those identifying as Hispanic climbed from 1.35% to 2.06%, a growth of 52.59%. Furthermore, the proportion of Belks identifying with two or more races increased by 44.92%, going from 1.18% to 1.71%. On the other hand, the American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw a slight decline of 5.88%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 76.36% | 75.59% | -1.01% |
| Black | 20.49% | 19.52% | -4.73% |
| Hispanic | 1.35% | 2.06% | 52.59% |
| Two or More Races | 1.18% | 1.71% | 44.92% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.27% | 0.8% | 196.3% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.34% | 0.32% | -5.88% |
Belk 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 Belk is British & Irish, which comprises 57.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.0%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.8% |
| French & German | 19.0% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 4.0% |
| Other | 19.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Belk
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 Belk have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Belfast, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
What Belk 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 Belk 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 Belk surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
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.
What do people with the surname Belk 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.
"Belk" Surname 40.7%
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.
"Belk" Surname 22.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Belk" Surname 22.5%
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.
"Belk" Surname 16.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Belk?
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 Belk are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition