Explore the Family Name Falcon
The meaning of Falcon
1. English: from the Old French personal name Falcon (see 3 below) or from Middle English faucon, faukun, Old French faucon, falcun ‘falcon’, either a metonymic occupational name for a falconer, or a nickname for someone thought to resemble the falcon, which was regarded as a symbol of speed and courage in the Middle Ages. See also Faulks. In a few cases, it may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a man who operated the piece of artillery named after the bird of prey. Compare Faulkner. 2. Spanish (Falcón): nickname from falcón, an archaic variant of halcón ‘falcon’ (see 1 above). 3. French: from the Old French personal name Falcon, the oblique case form of the ancient Germanic name Falco, from Latin falco ‘falcon’. The surname may also be a metonymic occupational name for a falconer (see 1 above). History: Pierre Falcon from Beauvais in Oise, France, married Marie-Geneviève-Victoire Tremblay in Baie-Saint-Paul, QC, in 1763. — In LA, this surname (see 2 above) is mostly borne by the descendants of Canary Islanders brought in to settle in 1779. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Juan, Manuel, Luis, Pedro, Alberto, Miguel, Pablo, Ramon, Angel, Jesus, Julio.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Falcon in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Falcon has seen a surge in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname has improved by 17.28%, moving from 2899th place in 2000 to 2398th place in 2010. This leap in ranking is supported by an increase in count, which represents the number of individuals with the Falcon surname. In 2000, there were 11,371 people with the last name Falcon, but this number grew by 33.01% to 15,125 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also saw a rise, indicating that for every 100,000 people, there were about 5 Falcons in 2010 compared to around 4 in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,899 | #2,398 | 17.28% |
| Count | 11,371 | 15,125 | 33.01% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.22 | 5.13 | 21.56% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Falcon
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Falcon. The majority of individuals identified as Hispanic, which saw a 3.72% increase from 2000 to 2010. This was followed by those identifying as White, even though this category experienced a decline of 9.52%. Interestingly, the data shows a modest increase in the Asian/Pacific Islander category and a slight increase among those identifying with two or more races. However, the number of individuals who identify as Black slightly decreased, as it did for those who define their ethnicity as American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 68.58% | 71.13% | 3.72% |
| White | 24.89% | 22.52% | -9.52% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.68% | 2.27% | -15.3% |
| Black | 2% | 1.93% | -3.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.06% | 1.3% | 22.64% |
| Two or More Races | 0.8% | 0.86% | 7.5% |
Falcon 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 Falcon is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 33.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (17.4%) and Indigenous American (15.9%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 33.0% |
| British & Irish | 17.4% |
| Indigenous American | 15.9% |
| Other | 33.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Falcon
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 Falcon have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Chihuahua, Mexico | 37.50% |
| San Luis Potosi, Mexico | 37.50% |
| Tamaulipas, Mexico | 37.50% |
| Zacatecas, Mexico | 37.50% |
| State Of Mexico, Mexico | 37.50% |
What Falcon 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 Falcon 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-CTS5368 and E-M5021, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Oliveira, Santana, Santos, Machado, Blanco, Souza, Pereira, Iglesias, Miranda, Lima.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Falcon surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to some of the first Americans
Though the Ice Age was beginning to retreat when your A2 ancestors first entered North America, there were still massive barriers blocking their way. Glaciers and inhospitable climate covered much of the continent, blocking entry into the interior. Nonetheless, researchers have found evidence that a wave of American founders migrated over 13,000 kilometers to reach southern Chile in only 2,000 years, a blink of an eye in the story of human migration! Their highway to the south was the coast of the Pacific, stocked with fish, diverse marine mammals, and other valuable resources in the rich kelp forests of the upper latitudes and in the abundant fresh-water rivers near the equator. Because of this rapid movement south, the A2 haplogroup and its diverse branches are found throughout North and South America.
What do people with the surname Falcon 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.
"Falcon" Surname 41.5%
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.
"Falcon" Surname 21.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Falcon" Surname 24.5%
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.
"Falcon" Surname 14.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Falcon?
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 Falcon are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition