Explore the Family Name Duck
The meaning of Duck
1. English: variant of Duke. 2. Irish: adoption of the English name (see 1 above) as an equivalent of Lohan (an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Leocháin ‘descendant of Leochán’) by mistranslation, as if from lacha ‘duck’. 3. North German (also Dück) and German (Dück): see Dueck.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Duck in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname 'Duck' has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 7253 and dropped slightly to 7367 by 2010, marking a decline of 1.57%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the 'Duck' surname increased from 4242 to 4521 during the same time frame, an increase of 6.58%. The proportion per 100k people slightly fell by 2.55%, showing a minor decrease in frequency relative to the population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,253 | #7,367 | -1.57% |
| Count | 4,242 | 4,521 | 6.58% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.57 | 1.53 | -2.55% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Duck
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates changes in the ethnic identity associated with the 'Duck' surname from 2000 to 2010. While individuals who identify as White remain the majority at 77.28% in 2010, down from 80.17% in 2000, there were increases in other ethnic identities. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander rose from 0.80% to 1.46%, and those identifying as Hispanic increased from 1.74% to 2.48%. Meanwhile, the portion of individuals identifying as Black slightly rose from 14.88% to 15.90%. Those identifying with two or more races also saw an increase from 1.44% to 2.01%. However, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native declined from 0.97% to 0.86%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.17% | 77.28% | -3.6% |
| Black | 14.88% | 15.9% | 6.85% |
| Hispanic | 1.74% | 2.48% | 42.53% |
| Two or More Races | 1.44% | 2.01% | 39.58% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.8% | 1.46% | 82.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.97% | 0.86% | -11.34% |
Duck 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 Duck is British & Irish, which comprises 55.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.2%) and Scandinavian (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Italian, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.1% |
| French & German | 20.2% |
| Scandinavian | 4.3% |
| Other | 20.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Duck
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 Duck have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
| South Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
What Duck 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 Duck is R-S3933, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S3933 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-M170 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ginn, Spriggs, Timmons, Smithson, Kirby, Edmunds, Wilks, Stockdale, Bolton, Wilkes.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Duck surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
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 Duck 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.
"Duck" Surname 25.0%
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.
"Duck" Surname 37.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Duck" Surname 27.9%
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.
"Duck" Surname 13.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Duck?
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 Duck are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition