Explore the Family Name Carson
The meaning of Carson
1. Scottish (Galloway) and northern Irish: probably a habitational name from an unlocated place in southwestern Scotland called Acarson or Carsan. This surname was taken to Northern Ireland in the early 17th century. Alternatively, it may be a hybrid patronymic name composed of Irish cearr ‘left-handed’ + English son ‘son’. 2. English: variant of Corston, a habitational name from one of the many places so called in Norfolk, Shropshire, Somerset, or Wiltshire. 3. In some cases also an Americanized form of Norwegian Kåsen (see Kasen). History: The trapper and Indian agent known as Kit Carson was born Christopher Carson in 1809 in Madison County, KY. His paternal grandfather, William, was an immigrant, probably from Scotland or northern Ireland, who in 1761 received a land grant in Iredell County, NC.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Carson in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Carson has seen a slight dip in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it held the rank of 537 and had a count of 55,821. A decade later, in 2010, its rank fell by 10.43% to 593 even though the number of people with this surname actually rose slightly by 1.88% to 56,872. However, when considering proportion per 100,000 people, the prevalence of the name Carson decreased by 6.81%, going from 20.69 in 2000 to 19.28 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #537 | #593 | -10.43% |
| Count | 55,821 | 56,872 | 1.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 20.69 | 19.28 | -6.81% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Carson
The ethnic identity associated with the Carson surname also showed some changes between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. Those identifying as White represented the majority of Carsons at 74.27% in 2000 and 72.25% in 2010, although this marked a decrease of 2.72%. Those identifying as Black comprised the second largest group at 21.14% in 2000, increasing slightly to 21.67% in 2010. Interestingly, the fastest growing ethnicity within the Carson surname was Hispanic, which saw an increase of 46.06%, moving from 1.65% in 2000 to 2.41% in 2010. The proportions of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native all saw increases over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 74.27% | 72.25% | -2.72% |
| Black | 21.14% | 21.67% | 2.51% |
| Hispanic | 1.65% | 2.41% | 46.06% |
| Two or More Races | 1.75% | 2.28% | 30.29% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.66% | 0.78% | 18.18% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.61% | 15.09% |
Carson 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 Carson is British & Irish, which comprises 50.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.3%) and Scandinavian (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Nigerian, Italian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.9% |
| French & German | 23.3% |
| Scandinavian | 4.0% |
| Other | 21.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Carson
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 Carson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
What Carson 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 Carson is I-Y4752, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Y4752 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-Y4751 and R-Z255, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Henry, Ferguson, Wilson, Adams, Thompson, Smith, Brown, Mitchell, Taylor, Walker.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Carson surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your 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 Carson 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.
"Carson" Surname 38.5%
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.
"Carson" Surname 26.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Carson" Surname 23.2%
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.
"Carson" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Carson?
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 Carson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition