Explore the Family Name Elder
The meaning of Elder
1. Scottish: distinguishing nickname from Middle English and Older Scots elder ‘parent; older, senior person’, perhaps in some cases denoting the older of two bearers of the same personal name. It may have been used also to denote an elder of a church, a senior and respected member of the congregation. Compare Senior. 2. English: in southeastern England, this may be a variant of Helder. 3. Americanized form (translation into English) of German Elter, which has the same meaning as 1 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Elder in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Elder" experienced slight fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 1118 in terms of prevalence, but by 2010, it had fallen to rank 1186, which represents a 6.08% decrease. However, despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the surname Elder increased from 28,783 to 29,796, marking a growth of 3.52%. The proportion of Elders per 100,000 people also saw a small reduction, falling from 10.67 to 10.1, indicating a 5.34% decrease.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,118 | #1,186 | -6.08% |
| Count | 28,783 | 29,796 | 3.52% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.67 | 10.1 | -5.34% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Elder
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Elder, it is evident that it spans across diverse groups. According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the highest percentage of Elders identified as White, accounting for 80.67% in 2000 and 79.15% in 2010, showing a slight decrease over time. The second most prevalent ethnic identity is Black, remaining relatively stable at 15.68% in 2000 and slightly increasing to 15.72% in 2010. Significant changes were noted in the Hispanic community, where the proportion of Elders more than doubled from 1.36% to 2.38%, highlighting a notable 75% increase. The Asian/Pacific Islanders and those identifying with two or more races witnessed an increase of 36.84% and 23.65% respectively. Conversely, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Native Elders saw a marginal decline of 9.09%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.67% | 79.15% | -1.88% |
| Black | 15.68% | 15.72% | 0.26% |
| Hispanic | 1.36% | 2.38% | 75% |
| Two or More Races | 1.48% | 1.83% | 23.65% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.52% | 36.84% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.4% | -9.09% |
Elder 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 Elder is British & Irish, which comprises 53.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.8%) and Scandinavian (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Nigerian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.8% |
| French & German | 23.8% |
| Scandinavian | 3.5% |
| Other | 18.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Elder
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 Elder have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
What Elder 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 Elder 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 R-CTS241 and R-Z2961, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Powell, O'Neal, Sanderson, Sexton, Hewitt, Maddox, Noble, Gary, Keyes, Howell.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Elder surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Elder 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.
"Elder" Surname 42.5%
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.
"Elder" Surname 25.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Elder" Surname 21.7%
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.
"Elder" Surname 17.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Elder?
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 Elder are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition