Explore the Family Name Calder
The meaning of Calder
1. Scottish: habitational name from any of the places called Calder in Midlothian and Caithness, or Cawdor in Nairnshire. 2. English: perhaps a habitational name from Calder in Cumbria, named from the river on which it stands (probably a British name, from Welsh caled ‘hard, violent’ + dwfr ‘water, stream’). However, the modern surname in England seems to be of Scottish origin, rather than from the Cumbrian placename.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Calder in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Calder saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. As of 2000, Calder ranked as the 6661st most common surname in the United States, but dropped to 6848th place by the year 2010. This represents a decline of approximately 2.81%. However, while its rank may have fallen, the actual count of individuals with the Calder surname increased during this period. In 2000, there were 4,676 individuals with this name, and by 2010, this number had risen by around 5.11% to 4,915.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,661 | #6,848 | -2.81% |
| Count | 4,676 | 4,915 | 5.11% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.73 | 1.67 | -3.47% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Calder
When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the Calder surname, based on the Decennial U.S. Census, there was noticeable change between 2000 and 2010. The proportion identifying as White decreased slightly from 88.96% in 2000 to 85.96% in 2010. However, all other reported ethnicities saw an increase during this same time frame: those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 27.94%, those claiming two or more races increased by 33.06%, Hispanic identifiers rose by 31.94%, Black identifiers increased by 22.51%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native identifiers grew by 32.35%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.96% | 85.96% | -3.37% |
| Black | 5.33% | 6.53% | 22.51% |
| Hispanic | 3.1% | 4.09% | 31.94% |
| Two or More Races | 1.24% | 1.65% | 33.06% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.68% | 0.9% | 32.35% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.68% | 0.87% | 27.94% |
Calder 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 Calder is British & Irish, which comprises 59.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (15.8%) and Scandinavian (5.6%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 59.6% |
| French & German | 15.8% |
| Scandinavian | 5.6% |
| Other | 18.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Calder
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 Calder have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
What Calder 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 Calder is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-CTS616, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Broome, Mcfarland, Mcalister, Mathewson, Dana, Macfarlane, Rossiter, Bowser, Jacks, Tupper.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Calder surname are: H1, N, 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 Calder 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.
"Calder" Surname 48.1%
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.
"Calder" Surname 24.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Calder" Surname 16.4%
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.
"Calder" Surname 17.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Calder?
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 Calder are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition