Explore the Family Name Bird
The meaning of Bird
1. English and Scottish: nickname for a young or a small and slender person, from Middle English brid, bird, burd (Old English bird, brid, perhaps also byrd) ‘bird, young bird’, also ‘young man, young woman, child’. 2. Irish: Anglicized form of a number of Irish names erroneously thought to contain the element éan ‘bird’, in particular Ó hÉinigh (see Heagney), Ó hÉanna (see Heaney), Ó hÉanacháin (see Heneghan), and Mac an Déaghanaigh (see McEneaney). 3. Americanized form (translation into English) of various European surnames meaning ‘bird’, as for example German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Vogel, French Loiseau, Czech Ptáček (see Ptacek) and Pták, Polish Ptak. 4. Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on a word, such as Lakota Sioux ziŋtkala, meaning ‘bird’. The importance of the birds, particularly eagles (see Eagle 4) and hawks (see Hawk 4), to Native Americans is reflected in their traditional personal names, many of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English), e.g. Black Bird (see Blackbird), King Bird (see Kingbird), and Red Bird (see Redbird).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bird in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Bird' experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 'Bird' was ranked 944th in terms of surname prevalence in the United States, but by 2010, it had slipped to 1041st, marking a 10.28% decrease in rank. The total count of individuals with this surname also witnessed a marginal decline from 33,962 in 2000 to 33,457 in 2010, representing a drop of 1.49%. Correspondingly, the proportion of people named 'Bird' per 100,000 population decreased by 9.93%, going from 12.59 to 11.34.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #944 | #1,041 | -10.28% |
| Count | 33,962 | 33,457 | -1.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 12.59 | 11.34 | -9.93% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bird
Data from the Decennial U.S. Census on ethnic identity reveals interesting shifts within the 'Bird' surname bearers over the same decade. Despite White ethnicity constituting the majority of the 'Bird' surname holders at 90.03% in 2000 and 87.79% in 2010, there was a slight decrease of 2.49% in this group. Meanwhile, the Hispanic ethnicity category recorded the most significant growth rate of 46.35%, climbing from 1.92% in 2000 to 2.81% in 2010. The proportions of other ethnic identities such as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native also increased over the decade, with respective changes of 31.08%, 39.87%, 6.15%, and 11.79%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.03% | 87.79% | -2.49% |
| Black | 3.09% | 3.28% | 6.15% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.63% | 2.94% | 11.79% |
| Hispanic | 1.92% | 2.81% | 46.35% |
| Two or More Races | 1.58% | 2.21% | 39.87% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.74% | 0.97% | 31.08% |
Bird 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 Bird is British & Irish, which comprises 56.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.5%) and Scandinavian (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.7% |
| French & German | 22.5% |
| Scandinavian | 4.7% |
| Other | 16.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Bird
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 Bird have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
What Bird 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 Bird is R-S11477, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S11477 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-DF5 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Wilson, Taylor, Clark, Miller, White, Young, Hill, Johnson, Thompson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bird surname are: H1, T2b, 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 Bird 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.
"Bird" Surname 46.3%
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.
"Bird" Surname 27.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bird" Surname 22.0%
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.
"Bird" Surname 17.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bird?
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 Bird are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition