Explore the Family Name Caldwell
The meaning of Caldwell
1. English, Scottish, and northern Irish: habitational name from any of several places in England and Scotland, variously spelled, that are named with Old English ceald ‘cold’ + well(a) ‘spring, stream’. Caldwell in North Yorkshire is one major source of the surname; Caldwell in Renfrewshire in Scotland another. Possibly also from Caldwell (Warwickshire), Caldwall (Worcestershire), Cauldwell (Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire), Caudle Green (Gloucestershire), Caudle Ditch or Cawdle Fen (Cambridgeshire), Chadwell (Essex, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Wiltshire), Chardwell (Essex), or Chardle Ditch (Cambridgeshire, early recorded as Kadewelle). 2. Irish: when not the English surname, this is an Anglicized form of Ó Fuarghuis or Ó hUarghusa ‘descendant of (F)uarghus’, a personal name whose literal sense ‘cold’ + ‘choice’ was reinterpreted as coming from fuaruisce ‘cold water’. History: Several Caldwells emigrated from Scotland to America by way of Ireland in the 18th century. James Caldwell (1734–81), a son of settler John Caldwell, was born in Charlotte County, VA, and was a militant clergyman during the revolutionary war. Andrew Caldwell, a Scottish farmer, emigrated to North America in 1718 and started a family in Lancaster County, PA. His son David was a Presbyterian clergyman and well-known revolutionary war patriot.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Caldwell in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Caldwell has slightly decreased from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, Caldwell was ranked as the 301st most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had slipped to the 327th spot, marking a decrease in rank popularity of 8.64%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Caldwell surname increased during this decade by 2.85%, from 91,338 to 93,944. However, when considered as a proportion per 100,000 people, the number of individuals named Caldwell decreased by 5.94%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #301 | #327 | -8.64% |
| Count | 91,338 | 93,944 | 2.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 33.86 | 31.85 | -5.94% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Caldwell
The ethnic identity attached to the surname Caldwell also witnessed shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of those identifying as White decreased from 70.27% to 68.05%, while Black identification saw a slight increase from 25.58% to 26.18%. A notable increase was seen in the populations identifying as having two or more races (from 1.55% to 2.32%) and Hispanic ethnicity (from 1.57% to 2.29%). Asian/Pacific Islander representation also rose from 0.34% to 0.42%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native identification saw a small increase from 0.69% to 0.74%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 70.27% | 68.05% | -3.16% |
| Black | 25.58% | 26.18% | 2.35% |
| Two or More Races | 1.55% | 2.32% | 49.68% |
| Hispanic | 1.57% | 2.29% | 45.86% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.74% | 7.25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.34% | 0.42% | 23.53% |
Caldwell 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 Caldwell is British & Irish, which comprises 54.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.7%) and Eastern European (3.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.8% |
| French & German | 21.7% |
| Eastern European | 3.4% |
| Other | 20.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Caldwell
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 Caldwell have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.30% |
What Caldwell 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 Caldwell is R-A542, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-A542 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S476 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dyer, Boone, Vann, Colwell, Vaughan, Huey, Vaughn, Hooper, Francis, Berry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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.
"Caldwell" Surname 43.9%
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.
"Caldwell" Surname 26.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Caldwell" Surname 23.5%
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.
"Caldwell" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Caldwell?
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 Caldwell are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition