Explore the Family Name Fordham
The meaning of Fordham
English: habitational name from any of the places in Cambridgeshire, Essex, and Norfolk named Fordham, from Old English ford ‘ford’ + hām ‘homestead’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fordham in the United States?
The surname "Fordham" was ranked 6712th in popularity in the year 2000, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. By 2010, it had moved slightly lower in ranking to the 6930th position, marking a decrease of 3.25%. Despite this slight drop in ranking, the count of individuals with the surname Fordham actually increased from 4639 to 4838, representing a growth rate of 4.29%. The proportion of Fordhams per 100,000 people also saw a minor decrease of 4.65% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,712 | #6,930 | -3.25% |
| Count | 4,639 | 4,838 | 4.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.72 | 1.64 | -4.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fordham
In terms of ethnic identity, the table indicates that the majority of individuals with the surname Fordham identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, although there was a decrease of 6.16% in this group over the decade. In contrast, those identifying as Black made up the second-largest group, increasing from 25.87% in 2000 to 27.57% in 2010. Asian/Pacific Islanders, American Indians and Alaskan Natives, and those of Hispanic ethnicity accounted for smaller proportions, but all these groups experienced substantial percentage increases over the decade. Furthermore, the category of those identifying with two or more races also saw significant growth, doubling from 1.08% in 2000 to 2.00% in 2010. This information is based on the Decennial U.S. Census data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.72% | 67.3% | -6.16% |
| Black | 25.87% | 27.57% | 6.57% |
| Hispanic | 0.97% | 2.48% | 155.67% |
| Two or More Races | 1.08% | 2% | 85.19% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.26% | 0.37% | 42.31% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.11% | 0.27% | 145.45% |
Fordham 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 Fordham is British & Irish, which comprises 58.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.9%) and Eastern European (3.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.8% |
| French & German | 17.9% |
| Eastern European | 3.4% |
| Other | 19.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Fordham
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 Fordham have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 87.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.00% |
What Fordham 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 Fordham is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and E-M180, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Leeper, Dodson, Stovall, Dellinger, Lillard, Stauffer, Nelms, Pelton, Higginbotham, Casteel.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Fordham 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 Fordham 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.
"Fordham" Surname 38.9%
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.
"Fordham" Surname 37.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Fordham" Surname 28.6%
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.
"Fordham" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Fordham?
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 Fordham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition