Explore the Family Name Dale
The meaning of Dale
1. English: from Middle English dal, dale, daile ‘dale, valley’ (Old English dæl, reinforced in northern England by the cognate Old Norse dalr), a topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, or a habitational name from any of numerous minor places called with this word, such as Dale in Cumbria and Yorkshire. 2. Norwegian: habitational name from a common farm named from Old Norse dali, the dative case of dalr ‘valley’. 3. Americanized form of German Diehl. 4. Americanized form of Swedish, Norwegian, or German Dahl. 5. Dutch: variant, without the preposition van ‘from’, of Van Dale. History: With a reputation as a disciplinarian, the soldier and colonizer Sir Thomas Dale (died 1619), was appointed marshal of VA and arrived in 1611 at Point Comfort with the Starr, Prosperous, and Elizabeth, carrying settlers, stores, and livestock. First enlisted in the service of the Netherlands, he later served Prince Henry in Scotland and was knighted as Sir Thomas Dale of Surrey.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dale in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Dale has seen a slight decline in rank from 1103 in 2000 to 1188 in 2010, indicating a diminishment of about 7.71 percent. However, there was a marginal increase in the count of people with this surname from 28,994 to 29,757 during the same period, marking a growth rate of 2.63 percent. The proportion of individuals named Dale per 100,000 dropped by 6.14 percent, from 10.75 in 2000 to 10.09 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,103 | #1,188 | -7.71% |
| Count | 28,994 | 29,757 | 2.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.75 | 10.09 | -6.14% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dale
Concerning ethnicity, the data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that a change has occurred among those bearing the Dale surname between 2000 and 2010. Asian/Pacific Islanders grew by 10.45 percent and those identifying with two or more races rose by 30.62 percent. Individuals of Hispanic heritage saw an impressive growth of 41.34 percent. The proportion of Dales who are Black increased by 5.94 percent. On the other hand, there was a slight decrease of 2.62 percent in the number of White Dales, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw a modest decline of 0.99 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.27% | 78.17% | -2.62% |
| Black | 13.64% | 14.45% | 5.94% |
| Hispanic | 1.79% | 2.53% | 41.34% |
| Two or More Races | 1.6% | 2.09% | 30.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.03% | 2.01% | -0.99% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.67% | 0.74% | 10.45% |
Dale 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 Dale is British & Irish, which comprises 53.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.9%) and Scandinavian (6.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.5% |
| French & German | 21.9% |
| Scandinavian | 6.3% |
| Other | 18.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Dale
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 Dale have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.00% |
What Dale 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 Dale is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-S24121, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Daniels, Wilson, Harrison, Roberts, Davis, Smith, Mills, Thompson, Brown, Taylor.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dale 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 Dale 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.
"Dale" Surname 45.1%
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.
"Dale" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dale" Surname 26.8%
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.
"Dale" Surname 19.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dale?
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 Dale are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition