Explore the Family Name Fortin
The meaning of Fortin
1. French: from a pet form of the personal name Fort 2, or a diminutive of the nickname Fort 1 ‘strong, brave’. Compare Footer, Fortune, and Furtaw. 2. English: variant of Fortune. History: Julien Fortin dit Bellefontaine from Saint-Cosme-en-Vairais in Sarthe, France, married Geneviève Gamache in Quebec City, QC, in 1652. His descendants also bear altered forms of the surname, such as Footer, Fortune, and Furtaw. Some characteristic forenames: French Marcel, Andre, Armand, Lucien, Fernand, Laurent, Pierre, Jacques, Normand, Yvon, Adrien, Alain.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fortin in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Fortin saw a slight decrease in popularity ranking between 2000 and 2010. It went from rank 3894 to 4029, representing a change of -3.47. However, the actual count of individuals with this last name increased to 8814 in 2010 from 8379 in 2000, marking an increase of 5.19. The proportion of the surname per 100k people also dipped slightly by -3.86.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,894 | #4,029 | -3.47% |
| Count | 8,379 | 8,814 | 5.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.11 | 2.99 | -3.86% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fortin
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a noticeable shift. The percentage of those identifying as White with the surname Fortin decreased from 92.92 in 2000 to 89.22 in 2010. Conversely, there was a significant increase in the Hispanic representation under the Fortin surname, rising from 2.73 in 2000 to 5.38 in 2010, a change of 97.07. There were also mild increases for other ethnic identities such as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and those identifying with two or more races. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders increased by 15.24, Blacks by 52.87, and those with two or more races by 25.76. American Indian and Alaskan Native representation remained almost constant with a minor increase of 1.96.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.92% | 89.22% | -3.98% |
| Hispanic | 2.73% | 5.38% | 97.07% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.64% | 1.89% | 15.24% |
| Two or More Races | 1.32% | 1.66% | 25.76% |
| Black | 0.87% | 1.33% | 52.87% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.51% | 0.52% | 1.96% |
Fortin 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 Fortin is British & Irish, which comprises 36.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (33.1%) and Spanish & Portuguese (7.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Indigenous American, Scandinavian, and Korean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 36.8% |
| French & German | 33.1% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 7.7% |
| Other | 22.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Fortin
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 Fortin have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 66.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 66.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 65.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 64.70% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 63.70% |
What Fortin 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 Fortin 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-L51 and E-P179, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mattingly, Jewett, Landry, Haskell, Whiteside, Ogle, Boudreaux, Peabody, Maddux, Gagnon.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Fortin surname are: H1, K1a, 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 Fortin 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.
"Fortin" Surname 52.6%
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.
"Fortin" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Fortin" Surname 22.6%
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.
"Fortin" Surname 19.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Fortin?
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 Fortin are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition