Explore the Family Name Despain
The meaning of Despain
Altered form of French Despaigne: from Old French d’Espaigne ‘from Spain’, used as an ethnic name for a Spaniard or as a nickname for someone who had some connections with Spain. This surname was brought to North America in the 18th century from England by descendant(s) of French immigrant(s). Today it is virtually non-existing in Britain and the surname Despaigne is very rare in France (it is found mainly in Loire-Atlantique).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Despain in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Despain has seen an increase in popularity over the past decade. In 2000, Despain was ranked as the 8437th most popular surname, while by 2010 it had climbed slightly to the 8350th position. This represents a percentage change of 1.03% over that period. The count of people with this surname also rose from 3598 in 2000 to 3964 in 2010, marking a growth rate of 10.17%. The representation of this name within the overall population remained relatively steady, moving from 1.33 individuals per 100,000 in 2000 to 1.34 per 100,000 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,437 | #8,350 | 1.03% |
| Count | 3,598 | 3,964 | 10.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.33 | 1.34 | 0.75% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Despain
When it comes to ethnic identity associated with the Despain surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals several shifts between 2000 and 2010. The majority of people with this surname identified as White, although this percentage dropped slightly from 95.5% in 2000 to 93.39% in 2010. The proportion of those identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase, going from 1.89% in 2000 to 3.94% in 2010. The percentages of Despains identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native all experienced slight increases. Meanwhile, the percentage of Black Despains remained stable at 0.33% for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.5% | 93.39% | -2.21% |
| Hispanic | 1.89% | 3.94% | 108.47% |
| Two or More Races | 1.25% | 1.29% | 3.2% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.56% | 0.58% | 3.57% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.48% | 2.13% |
| Black | 0.33% | 0.33% | 0% |
Despain 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 Despain is British & Irish, which comprises 53.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.6%) and Scandinavian (7.0%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.6% |
| French & German | 24.6% |
| Scandinavian | 7.0% |
| Other | 14.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Despain
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 Despain have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| South Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 91.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 91.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 91.70% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 91.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.70% |
What Despain 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 Despain is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Despain surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
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.
What do people with the surname Despain 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.
"Despain" 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.
"Despain" Surname 32.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Despain" Surname 26.8%
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.
"Despain" Surname 18.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Despain?
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 Despain are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition