Explore the Family Name Dean
The meaning of Dean
1. English: topographic name from Middle English dene ‘valley’ (Old English denu), or a habitational name from any of several places in various parts of England named Dean or Dene from this word. 2. English: nickname or occupational name for the servant of a dean or nickname for someone thought to resemble a dean. A dean was an ecclesiastical official, the head of a chapter of canons or a church official with jurisdiction over a sub-division of an archdeaconry. Though no doubt some deans had illegitimate children, they were officially celibate, and in the main the surname is probably a nickname in origin, similar to Bishop, Prior, Priest, and Monk. The Middle English word deen, dien, dein, is a borrowing of Old French d(e)ien, doien from Latin decanus (originally a leader of ten men, from decem ‘ten’), and thus is a cognate of Deacon. 3. English: from the Middle English personal name Deyne (or Dene) a rhyming pet form of Reynald (see Reginald). 4. Italian: occupational name cognate with 2 above, from Venetian dean ‘dean’, a dialect form of degan, from degano (Italian decano). 5. Irish: variant of Deane. 6. Scottish: habitational name from Den in Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire, or Dean in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dean in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Dean has seen minor shifts between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Dean ranked as the 250th most popular surname, slipping to a rank of 269 in 2010, representing a decrease in popularity by 7.6%. However, despite this slip in rank, the number of individuals with the Dean surname expanded from 109,230 in 2000 to 114,030 in 2010, reflecting an increase of 4.39%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #250 | #269 | -7.6% |
| Count | 109,230 | 114,030 | 4.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 40.49 | 38.66 | -4.52% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dean
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Dean also evolved according to the same Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Deans who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 30.86%, while those identifying as part of two or more races saw a 25% uptick. The proportion of Deans identifying as White saw a minor decline of 2.71%, from 78.74% in 2000 to 76.61% in 2010. The proportion of Deans with Hispanic ethnicity saw the most significant increase at 44.51%, although still remained a relatively small group at 2.63% in 2010. Those identifying as Black saw a modest increase of 3.64%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native Deans experienced a growth of 6.25%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.74% | 76.61% | -2.71% |
| Black | 16.23% | 16.82% | 3.64% |
| Hispanic | 1.82% | 2.63% | 44.51% |
| Two or More Races | 1.76% | 2.2% | 25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.81% | 1.06% | 30.86% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.64% | 0.68% | 6.25% |
Dean 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 Dean is British & Irish, which comprises 54.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.5%) and Eastern European (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.3% |
| French & German | 21.5% |
| Eastern European | 4.5% |
| Other | 19.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Dean
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 Dean have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
What Dean 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 Dean is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M467 and E-V13, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Green, Mason, Miller, White, Smith, Lang, Wagner, Weber, Schmidt, Hoffman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dean 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 Dean 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.
"Dean" Surname 43.7%
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.
"Dean" Surname 28.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dean" Surname 22.6%
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.
"Dean" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dean?
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 Dean are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition