Explore the Family Name Glass
The meaning of Glass
1. English and German: metonymic occupational name for a glazier or glass blower, from Old English glæs ‘glass’, Middle High German glas. In English, the name may also derive from a nickname from Old French glas, clas ‘clash of arms, noise, tumult (of battle)’. 2. Irish (Ulster), Welsh, Cornish, and Scottish: from an Anglicized form of the epithet glas ‘slate colored, gray’, or any of various Gaelic surnames derived from it. 3. German: from an altered form of the personal name Klass, a shortened form of Nikolaus (see Nicholas). This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). 4. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Glass ‘glass’, or a metonymic occupational name for a glazier or glass blower (compare 1 above). 5. Germanized or Americanized form of Slovenian Glas ‘voice’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Glass in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Glass" saw a slight dip in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, "Glass" was ranked 770th in terms of popularity and had a count of 40,724 people bearing the name. A decade later, its rank slipped to 823 with an increase in count to 41,802, signifying a change rate of -6.88% and 2.65% respectively. The proportion per 100,000 also witnessed a decrease from 15.1 in 2000 to 14.17 in 2010, marking a -6.16% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #770 | #823 | -6.88% |
| Count | 40,724 | 41,802 | 2.65% |
| Proportion per 100k | 15.1 | 14.17 | -6.16% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Glass
When it comes to ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some changes over the decade for people with the surname "Glass". In terms of ethnicity, the percentage of Asians/Pacific Islanders increased from 0.40% in 2000 to 0.44% in 2010. Those identifying as two or more races saw a significant increase from 1.42% to 1.88%. The data showed a decline in those identifying as White from 79.39% to 76.99%. Hispanic representation saw a notable rise from 1.47% to 2.29%, while the Black population increased slightly from 16.46% to 17.35%. There was also a minor increase in those identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native from 0.85% to 1.06%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.39% | 76.99% | -3.02% |
| Black | 16.46% | 17.35% | 5.41% |
| Hispanic | 1.47% | 2.29% | 55.78% |
| Two or More Races | 1.42% | 1.88% | 32.39% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.85% | 1.06% | 24.71% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.44% | 10% |
Glass 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 Glass is British & Irish, which comprises 46.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.4%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (11.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 46.9% |
| French & German | 22.4% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 11.2% |
| Other | 19.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Glass
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 Glass have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 77.90% |
What Glass 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 Glass is R-CTS4188, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS4188 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S675 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Adams, Chambers, Taylor, Donaldson, Miller, Thompson, Clarke, Wilson, Brown.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Glass 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 Glass 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.
"Glass" Surname 43.4%
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.
"Glass" Surname 25.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Glass" Surname 24.1%
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.
"Glass" Surname 19.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Glass?
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 Glass are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition