Explore the Family Name Birmingham
The meaning of Birmingham
English: habitational name from Birmingham in the West Midlands. In Domesday Book the name is already found as Bermingeham, but it seems likely that it was originally Beornmundingahām ‘homestead (Old English hām) of the people of (-inga-) Beornmund’, a personal name composed of the elements beorn ‘young man, warrior’ + mund ‘protection’. This surname is established in Ireland (see Bermingham).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Birmingham in the United States?
The surname "Birmingham" witnessed a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5,181st most popular surname in the United States, and by 2010, it had slipped to the 5,297th position, marking a decline of 2.24%. Yet, the number of individuals carrying the last name Birmingham increased by 6.11% during this same period, rising from 6,198 to 6,577. The proportion of people named Birmingham per 100k in the population also experienced a minor decrease of 3.04%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,181 | #5,297 | -2.24% |
| Count | 6,198 | 6,577 | 6.11% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.3 | 2.23 | -3.04% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Birmingham
When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the Birmingham surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data paints an interesting picture. In both 2000 and 2010, the majority of Birminghams identified as White, although there was a decrease of 2.15% in this group over the decade. Meanwhile, the percentage of Birminghams identifying as Hispanic saw significant growth of 45.31%, climbing from 2.45% to 3.56%. There were also slight increases in those identifying as Black (up 3.41%), Asian/Pacific Islander (up 29.79%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (up 8.93%). Finally, the proportion of those identifying with two or more races grew by 24.79%, indicating a growing diversity within this surname group.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.8% | 84.93% | -2.15% |
| Black | 8.5% | 8.79% | 3.41% |
| Hispanic | 2.45% | 3.56% | 45.31% |
| Two or More Races | 1.21% | 1.51% | 24.79% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.61% | 29.79% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.56% | 0.61% | 8.93% |
Birmingham 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 Birmingham is British & Irish, which comprises 54.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.3%) and Italian (6.5%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Nigerian, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.3% |
| French & German | 18.3% |
| Italian | 6.5% |
| Other | 20.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Birmingham
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 Birmingham have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 81.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.30% |
What Birmingham 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 Birmingham is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z156 and R-M222, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smalley, Waits, Ables, Prosser, Greig, Millar, Crocker, Moon, Devine, Graves.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Birmingham surname are: H1, T2b, 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 Birmingham 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.
"Birmingham" Surname 40.0%
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.
"Birmingham" Surname 26.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Birmingham" Surname 23.3%
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.
"Birmingham" Surname 11.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Birmingham?
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 Birmingham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition