Explore the Family Name Branch
The meaning of Branch
1. English: topographic name or nickname from Middle English braunch ‘branch’ (Old French branche, braunche), of uncertain application (compare German Zweig). As a topographic name it may have denoted someone who lived in a wooded place. 2. Americanized form (translation into English) of various European surnames meaning ‘branch’, e.g. German Zweig (compare Labranche), French Branche, and Swedish Gren.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Branch in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Branch has seen a slight decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the name dropped from 967 to 990, representing a 2.38% decrease. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the surname increased by 6.61% from 33,040 to 35,225. The proportion of individuals named Branch per 100,000 people also decreased slightly from 12.25 to 11.94.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #967 | #990 | -2.38% |
| Count | 33,040 | 35,225 | 6.61% |
| Proportion per 100k | 12.25 | 11.94 | -2.53% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Branch
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Branch has seen some shifts from 2000 to 2010, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. Although the largest percentage of people with this surname identify as White or Black, both groups saw a slight decrease. The number identifying as White fell by 3.78% to 47.37%, while those identifying as Black declined by 1.06% to 45.90%. Conversely, all other ethnicities saw an increase. Most notably, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander jumped significantly by 85.19% to 0.5%, followed by those identifying as Hispanic, which increased by 60.22% to 2.98%. The percentage of those claiming two or more races grew by almost half to 2.63%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native rose by 26.53% to 0.62%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 49.23% | 47.37% | -3.78% |
| Black | 46.39% | 45.9% | -1.06% |
| Hispanic | 1.86% | 2.98% | 60.22% |
| Two or More Races | 1.76% | 2.63% | 49.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.49% | 0.62% | 26.53% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.27% | 0.5% | 85.19% |
Branch 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 Branch is British & Irish, which comprises 49.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.8%) and Nigerian (8.3%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Italian, and Angolan & Congolese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 49.4% |
| French & German | 17.8% |
| Nigerian | 8.3% |
| Other | 24.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Branch
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 Branch have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 74.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 74.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 74.50% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 74.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 74.30% |
What Branch 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 Branch is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-BY266 and R-DF19, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lamb, Ackerman, Knight, Dennis, Ness, Weaver, Ott, Ingram, Clayton, Bush.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Branch 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 Branch 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.
"Branch" Surname 41.5%
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.
"Branch" Surname 30.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Branch" Surname 27.6%
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.
"Branch" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Branch?
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 Branch are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition