Explore the Family Name Dukes

The meaning of Dukes

English: variant of Duke, with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Dukes in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Dukes' saw slight changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 1577 in popularity and this shifted to 1622 in 2010, marking a decrease of 2.85%. However, the total count of people bearing the surname increased from 20,870 in 2000 to 22,187 in 2010, reflecting a growth rate of 6.31%. The proportion of people with the surname 'Dukes' per 100,000 also underwent a minor decrease of 2.84%.

20002010Change
Rank#1,577#1,622-2.85%
Count20,87022,1876.31%
Proportion per 100k7.747.52-2.84%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dukes

The ethnicity distribution of individuals with the surname 'Dukes' also demonstrated shifts during the same time frame. According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority of people identified as Black, with a slight increase from 49.93% in 2000 to 50.72% in 2010. Those identifying as White formed the next largest group, although this decreased by 5.21%, from 46.28% to 43.87%. There were noticeable increases for those identifying as having two or more races (49.35%) and Hispanic (52.41%), rising to 2.30% and 2.53% respectively. Meanwhile, people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native recorded minor changes.

20002010Change
Black49.93%50.72%1.58%
White46.28%43.87%-5.21%
Hispanic1.66%2.53%52.41%
Two or More Races1.54%2.3%49.35%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.24%0.29%20.83%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.34%0.29%-14.71%

Dukes 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 Dukes is British & Irish, which comprises 48.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.0%) and Nigerian (7.8%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Angolan & Congolese, Scandinavian, and Spanish & Portuguese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish48.4%
French & German20.0%
Nigerian7.8%
Other23.7%
Dukes

Possible origins of the surname Dukes

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 Dukes have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom78.20%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom78.20%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom77.90%
Merseyside, United Kingdom77.90%
West Midlands, United Kingdom77.90%

What Dukes 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 Dukes 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 J-M67 and I-S6687, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: James, Morgan, Ford, Shaw, Jones, Scott, Phillips, Oliver, Thomas, Lewis.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dukes surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

dukesPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Dukes 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

Dukes

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Dukes" Surname 34.7%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Dukes

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Dukes" Surname 29.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Dukes

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Dukes" Surname 28.3%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Dukes

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Dukes" Surname 17.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Dukes?

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 Dukes are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%