Explore the Family Name Disney
The meaning of Disney
English (of Norman origin): habitational name with fused French preposition d(e), for someone from Isigny in Calvados, France, named from the Gallo-Roman personal name Isinius (a Latinized form of Gaulish Isina) + the locative suffix -acum.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Disney in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Disney saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 8663 and had 3495 counts, representing a proportion of 1.3 per 100k people. By 2010, although the count had risen to 3631, a 3.89% increase, the rank dropped to 9006 and the proportion per 100k decreased to 1.23, a decline of 5.38%. This indicates that while more people bore the surname, it was less popular relative to other surnames.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,663 | #9,006 | -3.96% |
| Count | 3,495 | 3,631 | 3.89% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.3 | 1.23 | -5.38% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Disney
According to the same census data, there were notable changes in ethnic identity associated with the surname Disney over the same decade. The biggest increase was observed among those identifying as two or more races, which rose by 120.75%, from 1.06 to 2.34. There was also a significant rise in individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, from 0.31 to 0.52, an increase of 67.74%. The Hispanic ethnicity also increased from 1.43 to 2.53, a change of 76.92%. Meanwhile, the White demographic remained the largest but decreased slightly from 94.42 to 91.82. The percentage of Black individuals stayed steady at 2.23, while American Indian and Alaskan Natives saw a modest increase of 1.85% from 0.54 to 0.55.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.42% | 91.82% | -2.75% |
| Hispanic | 1.43% | 2.53% | 76.92% |
| Two or More Races | 1.06% | 2.34% | 120.75% |
| Black | 2.23% | 2.23% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.54% | 0.55% | 1.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.31% | 0.52% | 67.74% |
Disney 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 Disney is British & Irish, which comprises 55.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.0%) and Scandinavian (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.3% |
| French & German | 23.0% |
| Scandinavian | 3.7% |
| Other | 18.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Disney
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 Disney 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 | 90.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.80% |
What Disney 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 Disney is I-FGC20048, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-FGC20048 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-S24121 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bay, Betts, Paxton, Tilley, Mcveigh, Daniels, Dale, Bond, Mcvey, Doan.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Disney surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Disney 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.
"Disney" Surname 41.2%
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.
"Disney" Surname 35.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Disney" Surname 31.2%
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.
"Disney" Surname 22.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Disney?
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 Disney are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition