Explore the Family Name Denham
The meaning of Denham
English: habitational name from any of various places so called, derived from Old English denu ‘valley’ + hām ‘homestead’, for example Denham in Buckinghamshire (near Uxbridge), Denham near Bury Saint Edmunds or Denham near Eye, both in Suffolk, or from Denholme in Yorkshire, named with Old English denu + Old Norse holmr ‘island, water-meadow’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Denham in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Denham has seen small changes in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Denham was ranked the 4143rd most popular surname, but by 2010, it had slipped to the 4355th spot, marking a 5.12% decrease in ranking. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of people with the surname Denham slightly increased from 7,913 in 2000 to 8,156 in 2010, reflecting a growth rate of 3.07%. However, when considering the proportion per 100k population, the surname saw a slight dip of 5.8%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,143 | #4,355 | -5.12% |
| Count | 7,913 | 8,156 | 3.07% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.93 | 2.76 | -5.8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Denham
The Decennial U.S. Census data also reveals some interesting shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Denham between 2000 and 2010. The vast majority identified as White, although there was a small decline from 85.92% to 84.07%. The percentage identifying as Black remained relatively stable at around 10%. The data shows notable increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.35% to 0.60%), those identifying with two or more races (from 1.35% to 1.86%), and those identifying as Hispanic (from 2.03% to 2.93%). There was also a modest increase among those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, from 0.35% to 0.50%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.92% | 84.07% | -2.15% |
| Black | 9.98% | 10.03% | 0.5% |
| Hispanic | 2.03% | 2.93% | 44.33% |
| Two or More Races | 1.35% | 1.86% | 37.78% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.6% | 71.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.5% | 42.86% |
Denham 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 Denham is British & Irish, which comprises 61.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.8%) and Scandinavian (3.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Indigenous American, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 61.3% |
| French & German | 21.8% |
| Scandinavian | 3.2% |
| Other | 13.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Denham
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 Denham have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 91.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 91.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 91.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 91.60% |
What Denham 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 Denham is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hutchins, Pryor, Obrien, O'Brien, Thomson, Hannon, Christie, Morris, Penn, Black.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Denham 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 Denham 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.
"Denham" Surname 54.2%
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.
"Denham" Surname 41.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Denham" Surname 23.3%
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.
"Denham" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Denham?
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 Denham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition