Explore the Family Name Dennison
The meaning of Dennison
1. English: patronymic from the Middle English personal name Denis (see Dennis) + -son. Compare Tennyson. 2. English (of Norman origin): from Anglo-Norman French deinzein, a burgess who enjoyed the privileges of those living deinz la cité ‘within the city’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dennison in the United States?
The popularity of the surname Dennison experienced a slight dip between 2000 and 2010 according to Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it was ranked as the 2348th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it fell slightly to the 2465th spot, representing a change of -4.98 percent. However, the actual count of individuals with the Dennison surname increased from 14,132 in 2000 to 14,629 in 2010, a growth of 3.52 percent. Despite this increase in count, the proportion per 100k people decreased by 5.34 percent over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,348 | #2,465 | -4.98% |
| Count | 14,132 | 14,629 | 3.52% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.24 | 4.96 | -5.34% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dennison
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest group holding the Dennison surname identified as White, although their percentage dropped slightly from 84.92 percent in 2000 to 83.74 percent in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying as Hispanic or belonging to two or more races saw significant increases of 34.94 percent and 34.83 percent, respectively. The proportion of Dennisons identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also increased over the decade by 15.25 percent. The percentage of Black individuals and American Indian and Alaskan Natives carrying the Dennison surname remained relatively stable during this timeframe.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.92% | 83.74% | -1.39% |
| Black | 7.47% | 7.33% | -1.87% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 3.59% | 3.62% | 0.84% |
| Two or More Races | 1.78% | 2.4% | 34.83% |
| Hispanic | 1.66% | 2.24% | 34.94% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.59% | 0.68% | 15.25% |
Dennison 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 Dennison is British & Irish, which comprises 53.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.5%) and Scandinavian (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.3% |
| French & German | 24.5% |
| Scandinavian | 4.3% |
| Other | 17.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Dennison
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 Dennison have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.00% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
What Dennison 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 Dennison 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-Z156 and R-S7898, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morris, Evans, Chambers, Donaldson, Thompson, Shaw, Mcdonald, Porter, Clark, Davis.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dennison 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 Dennison 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.
"Dennison" Surname 48.0%
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.
"Dennison" Surname 41.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dennison" Surname 16.3%
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.
"Dennison" Surname 18.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dennison?
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 Dennison are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition