Explore the Family Name Chastain
The meaning of Chastain
French: 1. (southern): variant of Chastang. 2. nickname from Old French chastain ‘chestnut’ (a nut), possibly for someone with chestnut-colored hair. Compare Chasteen, Chesteen, Chastine, and Shasteen. History: This surname is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Chastain in the United States?
The surname Chastain had a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 to 2010, as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. It was ranked 2,469th in 2000 and 2,637th in 2010, showing a decline of 6.8%. However, the number of people with this surname increased modestly from 13,403 in 2000 to 13,655 in 2010, an increment of 1.88%. This led to a minor drop in the proportion of individuals with the surname Chastain per 100k, which went from 4.97 to 4.63, a decrease of 6.84%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,469 | #2,637 | -6.8% |
| Count | 13,403 | 13,655 | 1.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.97 | 4.63 | -6.84% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Chastain
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census show some fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of individuals with the surname Chastain identified as White (95.51% in 2000 and 94.28% in 2010), there were increases in other ethnic identities over the decade. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation rose by 54.84%, from 0.31% to 0.48%. Those identifying as Hispanic grew by 53.62% to reach 2.12% in 2010. Individuals identifying with two or more races also saw an increase of 11.72%. The proportion of those identifying as Black increased slightly from 0.54% to 0.66%, marking a 22.22% change. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category experienced marginal growth of 1.22%, reaching 0.83% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.51% | 94.28% | -1.29% |
| Hispanic | 1.38% | 2.12% | 53.62% |
| Two or More Races | 1.45% | 1.62% | 11.72% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.82% | 0.83% | 1.22% |
| Black | 0.54% | 0.66% | 22.22% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.31% | 0.48% | 54.84% |
Chastain 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 Chastain is British & Irish, which comprises 65.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.1%) and Scandinavian (2.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, Italian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 65.0% |
| French & German | 20.1% |
| Scandinavian | 2.7% |
| Other | 12.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Chastain
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 Chastain have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 94.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 94.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 94.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 94.40% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 94.40% |
What Chastain 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 Chastain is R-Z367, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z367 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Blanchette, Medlin, Covington, Bessette, Hadley, Savoy, Halbert, Wainwright, Tisdale, Swank.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Chastain 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 Chastain 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.
"Chastain" Surname 52.2%
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.
"Chastain" Surname 31.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Chastain" Surname 25.7%
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.
"Chastain" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Chastain?
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 Chastain are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition