Explore the Family Name Hampton

The meaning of Hampton

English and Scottish: habitational name from any of numerous places called Hampton, including the cities of Southampton and Northampton (both of which were originally simply Hamtun). These all share the final Old English element tūn ‘enclosure, settlement’, but the first is variously hām ‘homestead’, hamm ‘water meadow’, or hēan, weak dative case (originally used after a preposition and article) of hēah ‘high’. This surname is also found in Ireland, having first been taken there in the medieval period. History: The descendants of the clergyman Thomas Hampton, resident at Jamestown, VA, in 1630, lived in VA through three generations, multiplying their homesteads as the colony expanded and then branched into SC. This very common English name was brought independently to North America by many other bearers.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Hampton in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Hampton has seen a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010. Ranked as the 451st most popular surname in 2000, it fell to the 482nd position in 2010, representing a decline of 6.87%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Hampton surname increased by 4.66% over the decade, from 66,378 to 69,472. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decrease of 4.31%, moving from 24.61 to 23.55.

20002010Change
Rank#451#482-6.87%
Count66,37869,4724.66%
Proportion per 100k24.6123.55-4.31%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hampton

The Decennial U.S. Census also provides information about the ethnic identity associated with the Hampton surname. In 2010, the largest ethnicity identified was White at 53.70%, down from 56.28% in 2000. The next largest ethnicity was Black, which saw a slight increase from 39.52% in 2000 to 40.30% in 2010. Over the same period, those identifying as Hispanic rose from 1.33% to 2.21%, and those recognizing themselves as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 0.34% to 0.40%. The category for two or more races also experienced growth, climbing from 1.88% to 2.67%. Finally, the percentage identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native rose modestly from 0.65% to 0.72%.

20002010Change
White56.28%53.7%-4.58%
Black39.52%40.3%1.97%
Two or More Races1.88%2.67%42.02%
Hispanic1.33%2.21%66.17%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.65%0.72%10.77%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.34%0.4%17.65%

Hampton 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 Hampton is British & Irish, which comprises 49.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.9%) and Nigerian (6.6%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Angolan & Congolese.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish49.2%
French & German20.9%
Nigerian6.6%
Other23.3%
Hampton

Possible origins of the surname Hampton

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 Hampton have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Merseyside, United Kingdom77.10%
Greater London, United Kingdom77.10%
West Midlands, United Kingdom76.90%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom76.80%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom76.70%

What Hampton 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 Hampton is R-Z51, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z51 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Thompson, James, Edwards, Archer, Wilson, Allen, Phillips, Harvey, Morris, Lewis.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hampton surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

hamptonPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Hampton 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

Hampton

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Hampton" Surname 44.7%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Hampton

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Hampton" Surname 30.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Hampton

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Hampton" Surname 22.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Hampton

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Hampton" Surname 17.6%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Hampton?

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 Hampton are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%