Explore the Family Name Durham

The meaning of Durham

English: 1. habitational name from the city of Durham, recorded as Dunholm in 1056 and Duram in 1297, named from Old English dūn ‘hill’ (see Down 1) + late Old English holm (from Old Norse holmr ‘island’). 2. variant of Derham.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Durham has seen a decrease in popularity over time. In 2000, Durham was ranked 740th in terms of commonality but dropped to 792nd by 2010, indicating a decrease of 7.03%. Despite this drop in rank, however, the actual count of individuals bearing the Durham surname increased by 3.0% during this time period. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased by 5.8%, going from 15.7 in 2000 to 14.79 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#740#792-7.03%
Count42,36543,6353%
Proportion per 100k15.714.79-5.8%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Durham

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Durham. In terms of changes between 2000 and 2010, the largest growth occurred within those identifying as Hispanic - a 65.65% increase. Those identifying as either Asian/Pacific Islander or two or more races followed, with increases of 34.38% and 42.86% respectively. However, the majority of individuals with the Durham surname identified as White (73.03% in 2010), though this group did see a slight decrease of 3.27% from 2000. The percentages of individuals identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native slightly increased, with changes of 3.86% and 5.00% respectively.

20002010Change
White75.5%73.03%-3.27%
Black20.74%21.54%3.86%
Two or More Races1.54%2.2%42.86%
Hispanic1.31%2.17%65.65%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.6%0.63%5%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.32%0.43%34.38%

Durham 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 Durham 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 (22.3%) and Scandinavian (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Nigerian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish55.1%
French & German22.3%
Scandinavian3.7%
Other18.8%
Durham

Possible origins of the surname Durham

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom87.90%
Merseyside, United Kingdom87.70%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom87.60%
West Midlands, United Kingdom87.40%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom87.30%

What Durham 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 Durham is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-L26 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nash, Costa, Britt, Powell, Rosa, Harrison, West, Wilkinson, Ribeiro, Cross.

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

durhamPaternal 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 Durham 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

Durham

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Durham" Surname 43.9%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Durham

Misophonia

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

"Durham" Surname 23.6%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Durham

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Durham" Surname 23.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Durham

Migraine

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

"Durham" Surname 19.9%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Durham?

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 Durham 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%