Explore the Family Name Cunningham
The meaning of Cunningham
1. Scottish: habitational name from the province of Cunningham in Ayrshire, first recorded in 1153 in the form Cunegan, a Celtic name of uncertain origin. The spellings in -ham, first recorded in 1180, and in -ynghame, first recorded in 1227, represent a gradual assimilation to the English placename element -ingham. 2. Irish: surname adopted from Gaelic Ó Cuinneagáin ‘descendant of Cuinneagán’, a personal name from a double diminutive of the Old Irish personal name Conn meaning ‘leader, chief’. This name is also adopted for Ó Connacháin, a variant of Ó Connagáin ‘descendant of Connagán’, from a diminutive of the personal name Conn. History: A family of this name (see 1 above) can be traced back to Wernebald de Cunynghame, who was granted the manor of Cunningham by Hugh de Morville in the early 12th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cunningham in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Cunningham" has seen a slight decrease in rank but an increase in count between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Cunningham was ranked at 198, while by 2010 it had slipped to 211, marking a 6.57% decrease. Despite this drop in rank, the count of individuals bearing the Cunningham surname rose from 131,896 in 2000 to 135,718 in 2010, indicating a growth of 2.9%. The proportion of Cunninghams per 100,000 people also witnessed a minor reduction from 48.89 to 46.01.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #198 | #211 | -6.57% |
| Count | 131,896 | 135,718 | 2.9% |
| Proportion per 100k | 48.89 | 46.01 | -5.89% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cunningham
When considering the ethnic identity associated with the Cunningham surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, there have been some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 29.27%, and those reporting two or more races rose by 35.29%. Those who identified as White saw a slight decrease from 75.56% to 73.16%. Hispanic identifying Cunninghams experienced the most significant growth, up by 58.28%, whereas Black identifying Cunninghams also saw an increase of 3.82%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group remained relatively stable with only a small increase of 2.13%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75.56% | 73.16% | -3.18% |
| Black | 20.4% | 21.18% | 3.82% |
| Hispanic | 1.63% | 2.58% | 58.28% |
| Two or More Races | 1.53% | 2.07% | 35.29% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.53% | 29.27% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.47% | 0.48% | 2.13% |
Cunningham 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 Cunningham is British & Irish, which comprises 55.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.1%) and Eastern European (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.5% |
| French & German | 21.1% |
| Eastern European | 4.3% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Cunningham
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 Cunningham have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
What Cunningham 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 Cunningham is R-Z326, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z326 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Anthony, Tyler, Hammond, Wilson, White, Rogers, Smith, Clarke, Dudley, Brown.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cunningham surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
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 Cunningham 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.
"Cunningham" Surname 43.1%
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.
"Cunningham" Surname 25.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cunningham" Surname 20.8%
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.
"Cunningham" Surname 16.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cunningham?
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 Cunningham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition