Explore the Family Name Flagg
The meaning of Flagg
English: 1. habitational name from Middle English flag(ge) ‘turf, sod, block of peat’ (Old Norse flag). The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived at a place where turves were cut, or toponymic, from a place so named, such as Flagg, Derbyshire. It may also be a nickname for someone who cut turves. Compare Flack. 2. habitational name from Middle English flagge ‘reed, rush’, for someone who lived in a place characterised by reeds, or perhaps for someone who cut reeds for thatch. 3. perhaps from Middle English flag(ge) ‘flagstone’ (Old Norse flaga), for someone who lived in a place where flagstones were found or quarried.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Flagg in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Flagg saw a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 4896th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 5122nd position, marking a decrease of 4.62%. Despite this drop in rank, the count of people bearing the Flagg surname actually increased from 6589 in 2000 to 6834 in 2010, constituting a percentage increase of 3.72%. However, when assessing the proportion per 100k people, there was a slight decrease from 2.44 in 2000 to 2.32 in 2010, reflecting a -4.92% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,896 | #5,122 | -4.62% |
| Count | 6,589 | 6,834 | 3.72% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.44 | 2.32 | -4.92% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Flagg
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Flagg, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some shifts between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the majority of those with the Flagg surname identified as White (65.43%), followed by Black (30.57%). By 2010, these proportions had changed slightly, with White representation decreasing to 63.05% and Black increasing to 31.71%. The share of Flaggs identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw decreases over this period, while those identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase of 55.30%, albeit from a small base. Individuals identifying as two or more races also increased, going from 1.82% in 2000 to 2.46% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 65.43% | 63.05% | -3.64% |
| Black | 30.57% | 31.71% | 3.73% |
| Two or More Races | 1.82% | 2.46% | 35.16% |
| Hispanic | 1.32% | 2.05% | 55.3% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.47% | -11.32% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.33% | 0.26% | -21.21% |
Flagg 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 Flagg is British & Irish, which comprises 46.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.2%) and Italian (5.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Nigerian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 46.0% |
| French & German | 20.2% |
| Italian | 5.9% |
| Other | 27.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Flagg
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 Flagg have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 79.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 79.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 79.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 79.10% |
What Flagg 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 Flagg is I-L1498, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L1498 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-M423 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Haws, Feeney, Burnside, Morrissey, Madigan, Wisner, Skelly, Shilling, Hanley, Nance.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Flagg surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your 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 Flagg 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.
"Flagg" Surname 45.8%
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.
"Flagg" Surname 22.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Flagg" Surname 21.9%
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.
"Flagg" Surname 16.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Flagg?
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 Flagg are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition