Explore the Family Name Gorham
The meaning of Gorham
1. English (Kent and Suffolk): habitational name from Gorham Wood in Bicknor (Kent), so named from Old English gāra ‘triangular piece of land’ + hām ‘homestead’. 2. English and Irish (of Norman origin): habitational name from Gorron, in Mayenne (France). History: Born in England, John Gorham emigrated to MA and in 1643 married Desire Howland, daughter of John Howland, who came to North America on the Mayflower. His descendant Nathaniel (1738–96) was born in Charlestown, MA. He served as chairman of the Committee of the Whole House of Representatives in 1787, when it debated the American constitution.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gorham in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Gorham has seen a slight shift between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 4016th most common surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had slipped to 4190th place, marking a decline of 4.33%. Despite this decrease in rank, the actual number of individuals with the Gorham surname increased from 8113 in 2000 to 8458 in 2010, an upturn of 4.25%. However, when adjusted for population growth, the proportion of people named Gorham per 100,000 decreased by 4.65%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,016 | #4,190 | -4.33% |
| Count | 8,113 | 8,458 | 4.25% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.01 | 2.87 | -4.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gorham
Examining the ethnic identity associated with the Gorham surname based on the Decennial U.S. Census, several shifts can be noted between 2000 and 2010. The largest increase was among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, which rose by 74.07%. Individuals identifying with two or more races increased by 30.08%, while those identifying as Hispanic saw a rise of 42.62%. Those identifying as Black showed a minimal increase of 0.87%. Conversely, those identifying as White saw a minor decrease of 2.51%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native declined by 5.56%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.65% | 70.83% | -2.51% |
| Black | 22.95% | 23.15% | 0.87% |
| Hispanic | 2.44% | 3.48% | 42.62% |
| Two or More Races | 1.33% | 1.73% | 30.08% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.27% | 0.47% | 74.07% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.36% | 0.34% | -5.56% |
Gorham 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 Gorham is British & Irish, which comprises 54.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.3%) and Scandinavian (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.0% |
| French & German | 22.3% |
| Scandinavian | 4.5% |
| Other | 19.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Gorham
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 Gorham have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 88.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.60% |
What Gorham 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 Gorham is I-Z138, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z138 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-M253 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Searcy, Jett, Baggett, Vest, Kellogg, Crews, Barrows, Greathouse, Echols, Hixson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gorham surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Alexander Hamilton
Early in the morning on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr (then Vice President of the United States) and Alexander Hamilton (founder of the U.S. Treasury) dueled on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. This marked the culmination of a bitter personal and political rivalry between the two men. Alexander Hamilton died as a result of the duel, but his intellectual legacy survives in the founding documents of the nation he helped build. A piece of his genetic legacy survives as well: in the 21st century, genealogists documented the paternal haplogroups of dozens of Hamilton's living descendants and concluded that the Founding Father's paternal haplogroup was a branch of I-DF29.
Your 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 Gorham 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.
"Gorham" Surname 38.1%
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.
"Gorham" Surname 18.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gorham" Surname 31.2%
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.
"Gorham" Surname 15.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gorham?
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 Gorham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition