Explore the Family Name Diamond
The meaning of Diamond
1. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from an Anglicized form of a metonymic occupational name for a diamond worker, derived from German Diamant, French and Dutch diamant ‘diamond’, or Yiddish dime(n)t, from medieval Latin diamas, genitive diamantis, and ultimately from Greek adamas ‘unconquerable’, genitive adamantos, a reference to the hardness of the stone. 2. English: from the rare Middle English female personal name Diamand, derived from Old French diamaunt, diamaund ‘diamond’, found in Middle English as diamound, deamaunt, and deamon. The name may alternatively be a variant of Daymon or a pet form of the Middle English personal name Day, to which the hypocoristic suffix -man has been added. 3. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Diamáin ‘descendant of Diamán’, earlier Díomá or Déamán, a diminutive of Díoma, itself a pet form of Diarmaid (see McDermott). 4. Americanized form of Greek Diamantis or of any of patronymics derived from this name. Compare Diamant 3.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Diamond in the United States?
According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Diamond saw a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Diamond was ranked as the 1578th most common surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had slipped to 1670th place, marking a decrease in popularity of 5.83%. However, the actual count of people with this surname increased by 3.48% in the same period, from 20,860 to 21,586. The proportion of the population with this surname per 100,000 people also fell slightly, from 7.73 in 2000 to 7.32 in 2010, a change of -5.3%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,578 | #1,670 | -5.83% |
| Count | 20,860 | 21,586 | 3.48% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.73 | 7.32 | -5.3% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Diamond
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Diamond. Between 2000 and 2010, there were shifts in the percentages of people with this surname identifying with specific ethnic groups. The largest increase was seen in those identifying as Hispanic, which rose by 66.85%, followed by American Indian and Alaskan Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander, rising by 27.5% and 19.18% respectively. The proportion identifying as Black or of two or more races also grew, by 14.36% and 17.09% respectively. Meanwhile, the percentage of people with the surname Diamond who identified as White decreased by 3.24%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.87% | 85.02% | -3.24% |
| Black | 7.59% | 8.68% | 14.36% |
| Hispanic | 1.84% | 3.07% | 66.85% |
| Two or More Races | 1.58% | 1.85% | 17.09% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.73% | 0.87% | 19.18% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.4% | 0.51% | 27.5% |
Diamond 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 Diamond is British & Irish, which comprises 33.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Ashkenazi Jewish (30.6%) and French & German (12.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Greek & Balkan, Spanish & Portuguese, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 33.2% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 30.6% |
| French & German | 12.9% |
| Other | 23.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Diamond
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 Diamond have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 61.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 61.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 61.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 61.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 60.60% |
What Diamond 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 Diamond is I-Y4751, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Y4751 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include J-CTS5368 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Stein, Klein, Weiss, Frank, Schwartz, Simon, Herman, Marcus, Berger, Solomon.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Diamond surname are: K1a1b1a, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your 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 Diamond 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.
"Diamond" Surname 40.6%
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.
"Diamond" Surname 24.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Diamond" Surname 22.1%
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.
"Diamond" Surname 17.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Diamond?
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 Diamond are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition