Explore the Family Name Cumming
The meaning of Cumming
1. Scottish (of Norman origin): from the Breton personal name Cumin (Old Breton Cunmin, from con- ‘hound’ with an uncertain second element, perhaps min ‘edge’ which is found in other Breton personal names). There seems to be no basis for historians’ insertion of the preposition de in this surname, from the mistaken inference that it was a locative name from Comines in Nord (France). 2. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Cuimín (or Ó Cuimín) ‘son (or ‘descendant’) of Cuimín’, a personal name formed from a diminutive of cam ‘crooked’. There was a 7th-century abbot of Iona named Cumin. In Scotland, this Irish surname became confused with the Norman name (see 1 above). History: A notable bearer of the Norman surname (see 1 above) was Wilhelmus Comyn, Bishop of Durham, who came north to Scotland with King David I in 1124 and was appointed Chancellor of Scotland. He established his nephew Richard in Tynedale and Roxburghshire, and Richard also rose to be Chancellor of Scotland. The Comyn or Cumming family gained the earldoms of Buchan and Menteith and rose to be the most powerful noble family in Scotland in the century before the rise of King Robert Bruce.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cumming in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Cumming had a notable decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 9138, but by 2010 it had fallen to 10528, representing a decline of 15.21%. Similarly, the count of people with this surname also decreased by 7.16% during this period, from 3282 to 3047. The proportion of individuals bearing this name also saw a reduction of 15.57 per 100k.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,138 | #10,528 | -15.21% |
| Count | 3,282 | 3,047 | -7.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.22 | 1.03 | -15.57% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cumming
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Cumming, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals significant changes between 2000 and 2010. People identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander with this surname increased by 72.73%, while those identifying with two or more races rose by 47.66%. There was a slight increase of 0.15% among white people bearing the surname. Meanwhile, the Hispanic representation rose by 52.46%. Those identifying as Black showed a drop of 25.15%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native representation saw a nominal growth of 4.71%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.63% | 87.76% | 0.15% |
| Black | 8.07% | 6.04% | -25.15% |
| Hispanic | 1.83% | 2.79% | 52.46% |
| Two or More Races | 1.07% | 1.58% | 47.66% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.55% | 0.95% | 72.73% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.85% | 0.89% | 4.71% |
Cumming 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 Cumming is British & Irish, which comprises 61.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.9%) and Scandinavian (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma, and Korean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 61.9% |
| French & German | 18.9% |
| Scandinavian | 4.6% |
| Other | 14.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Cumming
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 Cumming have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
What Cumming 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 Cumming is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-BY451 and R-FGC18030, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Vance, Elliot, Given, Clifton, Maxwell, Humphries, Griffith, Gee, Gibbons, Davies.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cumming surname are: H1, N, 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 Cumming 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.
"Cumming" Surname 45.8%
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.
"Cumming" Surname 20.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cumming" Surname 18.2%
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.
"Cumming" Surname 12.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cumming?
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 Cumming are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition