Explore the Family Name Hand
The meaning of Hand
1. English, German, and Dutch: nickname for someone with a peculiarity or deformity of the hand or perhaps to skill in its use, from Middle English hond(e), hand(e), Middle High German hant, found in such appellations as Johan metter hant (Rijkhoven 1284), Liebhard mit der Hand (Augsburg 1383). 2. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Fhlaithimh (see Guthrie), as a result of association with the Gaelic word lámh ‘hand’. It is used as an English equivalent for several other names of Gaelic origin too, such as Claffey, Glavin, and McClave. 3. English: perhaps from a Middle English personal name Hand, a possible rhyming pet form of Randall, though it could also be a variant of Han (a pet form of Johan, John, and of Hanry, Henry), with excrescent -d. 4. Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from German Hand ‘hand’ (see 1 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hand in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Hand" has seen a slight decrease in recent years. In the year 2000, "Hand" was ranked as the 1481st most popular surname, while by 2010 it had dropped to 1639th, marking a change of -10.67%. The overall count of individuals with this surname dipped marginally from 22,034 in 2000 to 22,006 in 2010, indicating a -0.13% change. Consequently, the proportion per 100k people also decreased from 8.17 in 2000 to 7.46 in 2010, a fall of -8.69%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,481 | #1,639 | -10.67% |
| Count | 22,034 | 22,006 | -0.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.17 | 7.46 | -8.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hand
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Hand", data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of individuals with the "Hand" surname identified as White in both years (90.12% in 2000 and 88.84% in 2010), there was a noticeable increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic over the decade. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander rose from 0.53% to 0.73%, marking a 37.74% increase. Those identifying as Hispanic grew from 1.24% to 2.05%, a substantial jump of 65.32%. Meanwhile, the proportions of those identifying as Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native, or Two or more races experienced minor fluctuations during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.12% | 88.84% | -1.42% |
| Black | 6.03% | 5.94% | -1.49% |
| Hispanic | 1.24% | 2.05% | 65.32% |
| Two or More Races | 1.36% | 1.73% | 27.21% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.73% | 37.74% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.71% | 0.7% | -1.41% |
Hand 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 Hand is British & Irish, which comprises 55.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.8%) and Eastern European (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.9% |
| French & German | 24.8% |
| Eastern European | 4.0% |
| Other | 15.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Hand
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 Hand have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.50% |
What Hand 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 Hand is R-L664, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L664 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-M417 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dent, Ives, Willard, Couch, Drake, Dumont, Pike, Hawks, Fenn, Goldsmith.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hand surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Hand 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.
"Hand" Surname 42.2%
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.
"Hand" Surname 24.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hand" Surname 23.2%
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.
"Hand" Surname 19.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hand?
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 Hand are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition