Explore the Family Name Cass
The meaning of Cass
1. English: from the Middle English female personal name Casse, a pet form of Cassandra. This was the name of an ill-fated Trojan prophetess of classical legend, condemned to foretell the future but never be believed; her story was well known and widely popular in medieval England. The name is of uncertain, possibly non-Greek, origin. 2. Irish (Kilkenny and Laois): from Ó Cais ‘descendant of the curly-haired one’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cass in the United States?
The surname Cass experienced a slight dip in popularity according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In the year 2000, it ranked 4,261st across all U.S. surnames but dropped to the 4,679th position by 2010, signifying a decline of almost 10% in its rank. Similarly, the count of individuals bearing the surname decreased from 7,695 to 7,581 during this period, a reduction of approximately 1.48%. The proportion of persons with the Cass surname per 100,000 also reduced from 2.85 to 2.57.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,261 | #4,679 | -9.81% |
| Count | 7,695 | 7,581 | -1.48% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.85 | 2.57 | -9.82% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cass
In terms of ethnic identity, there was a noticeable shift between 2000 and 2010 based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The proportion of Asian/Pacific Islanders with the Cass surname increased by around 44%, while those identifying with two or more races saw an increase of about 12%. Meanwhile, individuals who identified as White saw a minimal decrease of about 0.82%. Hispanic representation amongst those with the Cass surname increased by roughly 37%, while the percentage of Black individuals decreased by nearly 9%. Lastly, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Natives with the Cass surname saw a slight increase of around 6%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.99% | 90.24% | -0.82% |
| Black | 4.08% | 3.72% | -8.82% |
| Hispanic | 1.69% | 2.31% | 36.69% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 1.83% | 11.59% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.05% | 1.11% | 5.71% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.55% | 0.79% | 43.64% |
Cass 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 Cass is British & Irish, which comprises 48.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.3%) and Eastern European (6.2%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.1% |
| French & German | 27.3% |
| Eastern European | 6.2% |
| Other | 18.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Cass
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 Cass have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
What Cass 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 Cass is E-V13, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-V13 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include R-S25234 and R-M405, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Calhoun, Noll, Cornelius, Satterfield, Hatfield, Goode, Grove, Groff, Sargent, Hubbard.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cass surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early Balkan migrants
Haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a migrated in large numbers from the Balkans into Europe about 4,500 years ago, triggered by the beginning of the Balkan Bronze Age. During this migration, members of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a mainly followed rivers connecting the southern Balkans to northern-central Europe. Technological leaps often cause lineages to grow dramatically in numbers and in geographic range. The development of Bronze technology may have given men in haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a a competitive advantage over other men, causing haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a to proliferate and become widespread.
Your 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 Cass 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.
"Cass" Surname 34.3%
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.
"Cass" Surname 36.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cass" Surname 13.4%
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.
"Cass" Surname 16.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cass?
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 Cass are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition