Explore the Family Name Darden

The meaning of Darden

English: possibly a habitational name from a locality in Northumberland called Darden.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Darden in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Darden saw a minor decrease in rank from 2623 in 2000 to 2683 in 2010, marking a change of -2.29. However, during the same period, the count of individuals with this surname increased from 12652 to 13414, a growth of 6.02%. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased slightly from 4.69 to 4.55 (-2.99).

20002010Change
Rank#2,623#2,683-2.29%
Count12,65213,4146.02%
Proportion per 100k4.694.55-2.99%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Darden

In terms of ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the Darden surname showed a diverse range of ethnic identities in 2010. The largest ethnic group was Black, which increased from 56.80% in 2000 to 57.92% in 2010. Those identifying as White reduced from 38.86% to 35.88%, while Hispanic representation grew significantly from 1.27% to 2.21%. The percentage of individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native descent also rose from 0.18% to 0.25% and 0.82% to 0.89% respectively. A notable increase was seen in those identifying with two or more races, rising from 2.07% to 2.85%.

20002010Change
Black56.8%57.92%1.97%
White38.86%35.88%-7.67%
Two or More Races2.07%2.85%37.68%
Hispanic1.27%2.21%74.02%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.82%0.89%8.54%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.18%0.25%38.89%

Darden 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 Darden is British & Irish, which comprises 49.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.8%) and Nigerian (10.3%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Angolan & Congolese, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Eastern European.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish49.2%
French & German17.8%
Nigerian10.3%
Other22.7%
Darden

Possible origins of the surname Darden

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 Darden have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom71.90%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom71.90%
Greater London, United Kingdom71.90%
Merseyside, United Kingdom71.40%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom71.40%

What Darden 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 Darden is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-CTS4179, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hudson, Ramey, Alden, Foss, Higgs, Dumas, Cash, Windham, Carver, Dotson.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Darden surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

dardenPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Darden 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

Darden

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Darden" Surname 41.5%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Darden

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Darden" Surname 18.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Darden

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Darden" Surname 22.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Darden

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Darden" Surname 14.9%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Darden?

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 Darden are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%