Explore the Family Name Cheatham
The meaning of Cheatham
English: habitational name from a place in Lancashire called Cheetham, apparently named with Celtic cēd ‘wood’ + Old English hām ‘homestead’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cheatham in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Cheatham saw a slight decline in rank from 2679 in 2000 to 2802 in 2010, marking a change of -4.59%. However, despite this drop in rank, the count of individuals with this surname increased by 3.62% during the same period, from 12403 to 12852. This indicates that while the overall popularity of the surname may have declined slightly when compared to other surnames, the number of people bearing the Cheatham surname has actually risen.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,679 | #2,802 | -4.59% |
| Count | 12,403 | 12,852 | 3.62% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.6 | 4.36 | -5.22% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cheatham
In terms of ethnicity, based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, there was an observable shift within the ethnic identities associated with the surname Cheatham between 2000 and 2010. The largest changes were seen within the Hispanic and those identifying with two or more races categories, with increases of 79.23% and 43.09% respectively. Meanwhile, the White category saw a decrease of -4.82%, indicating a slight shift away from this ethnic identity. The Black category remained the second most common ethnicity associated with the surname, showing a modest increase of 2.59%, while the proportions of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable with minor increases of 6.06% and 4.65% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 58.67% | 55.84% | -4.82% |
| Black | 37.46% | 38.43% | 2.59% |
| Two or More Races | 1.81% | 2.59% | 43.09% |
| Hispanic | 1.3% | 2.33% | 79.23% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.43% | 0.45% | 4.65% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.35% | 6.06% |
Cheatham 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 Cheatham is British & Irish, which comprises 57.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.8%) and Nigerian (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Eastern European, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.2% |
| French & German | 17.8% |
| Nigerian | 5.0% |
| Other | 20.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Cheatham
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 Cheatham have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
What Cheatham 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 Cheatham is R-L664, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L664 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-M417 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bickford, Stetson, Dent, Prendergast, Ives, Couch, Judd, Keeney, Hawks, Hand.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cheatham surname are: H1, H, L2a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Cheatham 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.
"Cheatham" Surname 43.0%
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.
"Cheatham" Surname 29.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cheatham" Surname 23.1%
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.
"Cheatham" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cheatham?
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 Cheatham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition