Explore the Family Name Blackwell
The meaning of Blackwell
English: habitational name from any of various places called Blackwell, for example in Cumbria, Derbyshire, County Durham, Warwickshire, Somerset, Devon, Sussex, and Worcestershire, named in Old English frp blæc ‘black, dark’ + wæll(a), well(a) ‘spring, stream’. Alternatively, it may be a topographic name for someone who lived by the ‘dark well or stream’, Middle English blak + wel(le).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Blackwell in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Blackwell has seen a slight shift in popularity over the years. In 2000, this surname ranked as the 673rd most popular in the United States, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 741st position, marking a decrease of 10.1%. Despite the drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Blackwell surname increased slightly from 46,495 in 2000 to 47,175 in 2010, an increase of 1.46%. The proportion of people named Blackwell per 100,000 people also decreased during this time period, from 17.24 in 2000 to 15.99 in 2010, a decline of 7.25%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #673 | #741 | -10.1% |
| Count | 46,495 | 47,175 | 1.46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 17.24 | 15.99 | -7.25% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Blackwell
The ethnic identity associated with the Blackwell surname has also seen some changes from 2000 to 2010 based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. Those identifying as White decreased marginally from 67.71% to 65.69%, while those identifying as Black saw a small increase from 28.04% to 28.46%. The Hispanic population with this surname saw significant growth, rising from 1.28% to 2.05%, marking a 60.16% change. Furthermore, individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw increases, from 0.29% to 0.39% and from 0.68% to 0.77% respectively. Lastly, those indicating they were of two or more races increased from 2.00% in 2000 to 2.64% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 67.71% | 65.69% | -2.98% |
| Black | 28.04% | 28.46% | 1.5% |
| Two or More Races | 2% | 2.64% | 32% |
| Hispanic | 1.28% | 2.05% | 60.16% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.68% | 0.77% | 13.24% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.29% | 0.39% | 34.48% |
Blackwell 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 Blackwell is British & Irish, which comprises 55.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.2%) and Nigerian (5.2%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.1% |
| French & German | 19.2% |
| Nigerian | 5.2% |
| Other | 20.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Blackwell
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 Blackwell have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.50% |
What Blackwell 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 Blackwell is R-L48, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L48 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-Y57, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: North, Cummings, Chappell, Ambrose, George, Wheatley, Rhodes, Crosby, Wade, Andrews.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Blackwell 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 Blackwell 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.
"Blackwell" Surname 37.0%
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.
"Blackwell" Surname 29.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Blackwell" Surname 23.6%
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.
"Blackwell" Surname 16.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Blackwell?
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 Blackwell are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition