Explore the Family Name Deacon
The meaning of Deacon
1. English: from Middle English deken, dicoun ‘deacon, a priest’s assistant at church services’ (Old French diacne, Old English diacon, dēacon, both ultimately from Late Latin diaconus, from Greek diakonos ‘servant’). Since deacons were in holy orders they would not be permitted to marry (with allowance for those few already married when ordained), so the surname is probably in most cases a secular nickname rather than the name of a church official, perhaps denoting a deacon’s servant. 2. English: variant of Dicken. 3. Irish (Wexford): of English origin (see 1 and 2 above), taken to Ireland in the 17th century. When the Irish surname is not of English origin, it may be an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Deocáin ‘descendant of Deocán’, a personal name of uncertain etymology.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Deacon in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Deacon saw a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 9263 and dropped in rank to 9756 by 2010, marking a change of -5.32%. Despite its decrease in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Deacon surname increased by 2.63%, growing from 3237 in 2000 to 3322 in 2010. The proportion of people named Deacon per 100,000 also decreased marginally from 1.2 to 1.13 over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,263 | #9,756 | -5.32% |
| Count | 3,237 | 3,322 | 2.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.2 | 1.13 | -5.83% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Deacon
In terms of ethnicity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there were notable shifts in the distribution of the Deacon surname among different ethnic identities between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Deacons who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native all increased. The most significant increase was amongst those identifying as Hispanic, which surged by 84.68%. However, those identifying as White saw a slight decrease, down by 3.29% from 90.89% to 87.9%. The percentage of Deacons identifying with two or more races also decreased slightly by 5.04%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.89% | 87.9% | -3.29% |
| Black | 3.99% | 4.94% | 23.81% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.04% | 3.04% | 49.02% |
| Hispanic | 1.11% | 2.05% | 84.68% |
| Two or More Races | 1.39% | 1.32% | -5.04% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.59% | 0.75% | 27.12% |
Deacon 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 Deacon is British & Irish, which comprises 57.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.1%) and Eastern European (5.2%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Chinese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.1% |
| French & German | 22.1% |
| Eastern European | 5.2% |
| Other | 15.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Deacon
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 Deacon have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.10% |
What Deacon 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 Deacon 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-M417 and R-M405, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Fryer, Symons, Kremer, Tinsley, Kranz, Spellman, Jason, Earle, Petry, Gee.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Deacon surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Deacon 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.
"Deacon" Surname 33.3%
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.
"Deacon" Surname 30.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Deacon" Surname 24.3%
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.
"Deacon" Surname 22.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Deacon?
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 Deacon are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition