Explore the Family Name Fish
The meaning of Fish
1. English: from Middle English fish, fisch, fisk ‘fish’ (Old English fisc, Old Norse fiskr), a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman or fish seller, or a nickname for someone thought to resemble a fish. 2. Americanized form of German Fisch, and a variant of the same Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname. The surname of Jewish and German origin is also found in Britain. 3. Americanized form (translation into English) of French Poisson ‘fish’. 4. Americanized form (mistranslation into English) of French Poissant, meaning ‘powerful, strong, vigorous’, but understood as poisson ‘fish’. History: Some of the American bearers of the surname Fish are descendants of either Jean Poisson from France (see Poisson) or Jacques Poissant dit La Saline from France (see Poissant).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fish in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Fish" slightly decreased by 8.45% between 2000 and 2010, moving from rank 1,314 to 1,425. The count, however, increased marginally by 1.27%, with a total of 24,924 people carrying this surname in 2010 compared to 24,612 in 2000. The proportion per 100k also fell by 7.35%, indicating that although the number of people with the surname Fish increased, it did not keep pace with the overall population growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,314 | #1,425 | -8.45% |
| Count | 24,612 | 24,924 | 1.27% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.12 | 8.45 | -7.35% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fish
In terms of ethnicity, according to the same Decennial U.S. Census data, there was a notable shift in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Fish between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native increased, with the Hispanic group seeing the highest rise at 45.80%. On the other hand, the percentage of White individuals carrying the Fish surname saw a slight decrease of 1.69%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.45% | 91.87% | -1.69% |
| Black | 1.75% | 1.97% | 12.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.69% | 1.94% | 14.79% |
| Hispanic | 1.31% | 1.91% | 45.8% |
| Two or More Races | 1.3% | 1.66% | 27.69% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.66% | 32% |
Fish 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 Fish is British & Irish, which comprises 48.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.8%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (6.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.6% |
| French & German | 23.8% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 6.6% |
| Other | 21.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Fish
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 Fish have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
What Fish 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 Fish is R-DF5, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-DF5 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-L1066.1, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lyon, Bullock, Lyons, Dowling, Bird, Scully, Hopper, Davenport, Kelley, Carden.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Fish surname are: H1, H, V. 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 Fish 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.
"Fish" Surname 45.7%
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.
"Fish" Surname 33.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Fish" Surname 19.2%
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.
"Fish" Surname 16.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Fish?
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 Fish are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition