Explore the Family Name Braithwaite
The meaning of Braithwaite
English (northern): habitational name from any of the places in Cumbria and Yorkshire named Braithwaite, from Old Norse breithr ‘broad’ + thveit ‘clearing’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Braithwaite in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Braithwaite saw a marked increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 8,856 in terms of prevalence in the United States, but by 2010, its rank had improved to 8,470 — an uptick of 4.36%. Furthermore, the count of individuals bearing this surname grew by 14.58%, from 3,402 in 2000 to 3,898 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of people with the Braithwaite name per 100,000 population also increased from 1.26 to 1.32, showing a rise of 4.76%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,856 | #8,470 | 4.36% |
| Count | 3,402 | 3,898 | 14.58% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.26 | 1.32 | 4.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Braithwaite
The ethnicity associated with the Braithwaite name also underwent shifts over the same period, as reflected in the Decennial U.S. Census data. The greatest percentage change was seen among those identifying as Hispanic, where there was a surge of 89.39%, from 1.79% in 2000 to 3.39% in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying as White declined by 5.26% from 65.34% to 61.90%. There were slight increases in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native. The Asian/Pacific Islander category saw a 27.27% jump, while the Two or more races group grew by 33.62%. The percentage of Black individuals rose by 2.85%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category increased by 31.03%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 65.34% | 61.9% | -5.26% |
| Black | 29.81% | 30.66% | 2.85% |
| Hispanic | 1.79% | 3.39% | 89.39% |
| Two or More Races | 2.32% | 3.1% | 33.62% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.56% | 27.27% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.29% | 0.38% | 31.03% |
Braithwaite 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 Braithwaite is British & Irish, which comprises 53.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (15.7%) and Nigerian (8.4%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.0% |
| French & German | 15.7% |
| Nigerian | 8.4% |
| Other | 22.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Braithwaite
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 Braithwaite have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 75.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 75.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 75.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 74.30% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 74.30% |
What Braithwaite 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 Braithwaite is J-L283, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-L283 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-P312 and E-P252, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bowles, Ramsay, Stefan, Lamar, Bieber, Beaver, Brock, Wimmer, Hoppe, Herold.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Braithwaite surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Braithwaite 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.
"Braithwaite" Surname 41.7%
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.
"Braithwaite" Surname 25.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Braithwaite" Surname 33.3%
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.
"Braithwaite" Surname 13.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Braithwaite?
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 Braithwaite are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition