Explore the Family Name Durant

The meaning of Durant

1. English (of Norman origin) and French: variant of Durand. 2. English: variant of Darwent, a habitational name from Derwent in Derbyshire (now submerged by the Ladybower Reservoir) or Darwen in Lancashire, both named from rivers called Derwent, or, less frequently, from similarly named rivers in Cumbria, Durham, Northumbria, and Yorkshire, from a Celtic river name meaning ‘river where oak-trees grow abundantly’. 3. Altered form of French Doiron. History: The surname Durant of French origin (see 1 above) is listed in the register of Huguenot ancestors recognized by the Huguenot Society of South Carolina.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Durant" experienced a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, shifting from 2811th place to 2889th. This change represents a -2.77 percent shift in the surname's prevalence. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Durant surname increased by 6.23 percent during the same period, from 11,699 in 2000 to 12,428 in 2010. However, when considering the proportion per 100k, there was a minor decrease of -3.0 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#2,811#2,889-2.77%
Count11,69912,4286.23%
Proportion per 100k4.344.21-3%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Durant

The ethnicity associated with the surname Durant also saw changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a substantial increase of 58.14 percent, while those identifying as belonging to two or more races increased by 21.89 percent. The proportion of Durant individuals identifying as Hispanic also rose, marking an uptick of 19.34 percent. Interestingly, the largest group, those identifying as White, decreased by -4.03 percent over the decade. Those identifying as Black saw a modest increase of 2.19 percent. The only ethnic identity to see a decrease was the American Indian and Alaskan Native category, falling by -14.93 percent.

20002010Change
White54.14%51.96%-4.03%
Black36.03%36.82%2.19%
Hispanic4.55%5.43%19.34%
Two or More Races2.65%3.23%21.89%
American Indian and Alaskan Native2.21%1.88%-14.93%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.43%0.68%58.14%

Durant 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 Durant is British & Irish, which comprises 41.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.9%) and Nigerian (6.1%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, and Scandinavian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish41.7%
French & German21.9%
Nigerian6.1%
Other30.3%
Durant

Possible origins of the surname Durant

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom70.10%
West Midlands, United Kingdom69.60%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom69.60%
Merseyside, United Kingdom69.20%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom69.20%

What Durant 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 Durant 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 E-M5021 and E-P252, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Knight, Brown, Allen, Robinson, Harmon, Thompson, Smith, Williams, Cooper, Miller.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Durant surname are: H1, K1a, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

durantPaternal 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 Durant 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

Durant

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Durant" Surname 35.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Durant

Misophonia

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

"Durant" Surname 36.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Durant

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Durant" Surname 26.4%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Durant

Migraine

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

"Durant" Surname 18.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Durant?

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 Durant 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%