Explore the Family Name Cardinal
The meaning of Cardinal
1. French and English: from Old French, Middle English cardinal ‘cardinal’, the church dignitary (Latin cardinalis, originally an adjective meaning ‘crucial’). The surname was probably bestowed as a nickname on someone who habitually dressed in red, or who had played the part of a cardinal in a pageant, or who acted in a lordly and patronizing manner. 2. English: possibly also an altered form of Carbonell. Reaney notes that Cardinal’s Farm in Foxearth (Essex) is recorded as Carbonels in 1381 and Cardynals in 1577. History: Simon Cardinal from Marans in Charente-Maritime, France, married Michelle Garnier in Marans c.1652, died in Lachine, QC, in 1679. — In North America, this surname was originally also a secondary surname or dit (‘also called’) name, borne by François Leroux dit Cardinal from Senillé in Vienne, France, who married Marie Renaud in Quebec City, QC, in 1668. His descendants also bear the surnames Leroux and Toussaint. Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Lucien, Adelard, Alberic, Clovis, Colette, Fabienne, Fernand, Francois, Germaine, Gilles.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cardinal in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Cardinal saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname dropped from 7063 in 2000 to 7275 in 2010, marking a decline of 3%. In terms of count, there was an increase of approximately 5% with 4367 individuals bearing the name in 2000 and 4580 in 2010. However, the proportion of people with this surname per 100k population decreased by roughly 4%, indicating that the growth rate was lower than the overall population growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,063 | #7,275 | -3% |
| Count | 4,367 | 4,580 | 4.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.62 | 1.55 | -4.32% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cardinal
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the Cardinal surname, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates changes over the decade from 2000 to 2010. While the majority of those with the Cardinal surname identified as White (94.07% in 2000 and 91.16% in 2010), there was a noticeable increase within the Hispanic demographic, from 1.69% in 2000 to 3.32% in 2010. The Asian/Pacific Islander group and American Indian and Alaskan Native group also saw increases in their percentages, while the Black group experienced a modest rise. Those identifying as Two or more races remained relatively stable over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.07% | 91.16% | -3.09% |
| Hispanic | 1.69% | 3.32% | 96.45% |
| Two or More Races | 1.4% | 1.42% | 1.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.85% | 1.4% | 64.71% |
| Black | 1.08% | 1.38% | 27.78% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.92% | 1.33% | 44.57% |
Cardinal 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 Cardinal is British & Irish, which comprises 40.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (30.8%) and Eastern European (8.1%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Levantine.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 40.9% |
| French & German | 30.8% |
| Eastern European | 8.1% |
| Other | 20.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Cardinal
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 Cardinal have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 72.30% |
| South Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 72.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 72.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 72.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 71.40% |
What Cardinal 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 Cardinal is R-Z278, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z278 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Crowder, Ayer, Dehaven, Bowker, Colon, Smock, Maestas, Bogue, Elkins, Towne.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cardinal surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Cardinal 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.
"Cardinal" Surname 34.1%
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.
"Cardinal" Surname 31.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cardinal" Surname 24.0%
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.
"Cardinal" Surname 11.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cardinal?
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 Cardinal are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition