Explore the Family Name Bettencourt
The meaning of Bettencourt
French (northern) and Portuguese (of French origin; mainly Azores): habitational name from any of various places in northern France so called, with minor variations in spelling, of which the main one is in Somme. They are named with the ancient Germanic personal name Betto, an assimilated form of Berto (see Bert) + Old French court ‘farm(yard)’. This surname is now much more frequent in Portugal than in France; to Portugal it was brought in the 15th century. See also French Bethencourt and Spanish Betancourt. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Jorge, Luis, Ana, Carlos, Joaquin, Aires, Arlindo, Armando, Francisco, Mario. Portuguese Joao, Adao, Albano, Conceicao, Duarte, Ilidio, Paulo, Serafim.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bettencourt in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Bettencourt witnessed a minor decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 4706th most popular surname in the country, but by 2010, it had dropped slightly to the 4797th position, indicating a decrease of approximately 1.93%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the name Bettencourt increased from 6888 in 2000 to 7365 in 2010, showing an increase of 6.93%. The proportion per 100,000 people also fell marginally from 2.55 to 2.5 over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,706 | #4,797 | -1.93% |
| Count | 6,888 | 7,365 | 6.93% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.55 | 2.5 | -1.96% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bettencourt
Looking at ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some changes in the ethnic composition of those carrying the Bettencourt surname. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a significant increase in the Hispanic population carrying this name, which grew by 49.09%. Similarly, the Black population increased by nearly 97.14%, albeit from a much smaller base. The percentages of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw increases of 7.87% and 52.00% respectively. On the contrary, the percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased by 1.04%, while those reporting two or more races saw a substantial decrease of around 51.32%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.47% | 87.55% | -1.04% |
| Hispanic | 5.5% | 8.2% | 49.09% |
| Two or More Races | 4.54% | 2.21% | -51.32% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.89% | 0.96% | 7.87% |
| Black | 0.35% | 0.69% | 97.14% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.25% | 0.38% | 52% |
Bettencourt 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 Bettencourt is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 42.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (27.8%) and French & German (12.4%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 42.1% |
| British & Irish | 27.8% |
| French & German | 12.4% |
| Other | 17.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Bettencourt
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 Bettencourt have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Portugal.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 61.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 61.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 61.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 61.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 61.00% |
What Bettencourt 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 Bettencourt is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z225 and R-L51, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ferreira, Pereira, Souza, Teixeira, Alves, Dias, Oliveira, Sousa, Fernandez, Da Silva.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bettencourt surname are: M, H1, 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 Bettencourt 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.
"Bettencourt" Surname 36.5%
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.
"Bettencourt" Surname 35.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bettencourt" Surname 22.4%
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.
"Bettencourt" Surname 19.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bettencourt?
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 Bettencourt are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition