Explore the Family Name Handley
The meaning of Handley
English and Irish: variant of Hanley.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Handley in the United States?
The surname Handley, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, saw a slight decrease in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Handley was ranked as the 3382nd most popular surname, but by 2010, it had fallen to 3657th place, representing an 8.13 percent drop. Despite this slip in ranking, the actual count of people with the surname Handley increased slightly from 9671 in 2000 to 9722 in 2010, indicative of a 0.53 percent growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,382 | #3,657 | -8.13% |
| Count | 9,671 | 9,722 | 0.53% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.59 | 3.3 | -8.08% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Handley
In terms of ethnicity, the Handley surname showed diverse representation across various ethnic identities. The Decennial U.S. Census data revealed that a significant majority identified as White, although this percentage fell slightly from 86.25 percent in 2000 to 84.03 percent in 2010. The proportions of individuals identifying as Black and Hispanic also rose during the same period, increasing by 8.39 percent and 37.35 percent respectively. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw substantial growth rates of 50.00 percent and 48.98 percent, respectively, albeit from smaller initial bases. Finally, those reporting two or more races increased their share from 1.56 percent in 2000 to 1.92 percent in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.25% | 84.03% | -2.57% |
| Black | 9.66% | 10.47% | 8.39% |
| Hispanic | 1.66% | 2.28% | 37.35% |
| Two or More Races | 1.56% | 1.92% | 23.08% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.49% | 0.73% | 48.98% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.57% | 50% |
Handley 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 Handley is British & Irish, which comprises 57.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.3%) and Eastern European (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.2% |
| French & German | 20.3% |
| Eastern European | 5.0% |
| Other | 17.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Handley
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 Handley have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.50% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 89.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
What Handley 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 Handley is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-L1498 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Slater, Cameron, Markham, Lacey, Sherman, Mcdonnell, Duggan, Lacy, Devine, Morgan.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Handley 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 Handley 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.
"Handley" Surname 50.5%
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.
"Handley" Surname 32.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Handley" Surname 26.1%
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.
"Handley" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Handley?
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 Handley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition