Explore the Family Name Handy
The meaning of Handy
English: nickname from Middle English hondi ‘skillful with one’s hands, dextrous’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Handy in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Handy saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 2429 but dropped to 2482 by 2010, a change of -2.18%. Despite this slight drop in rank, the number of individuals with the surname Handy actually increased from 13,655 to 14,537, marking a rise of 6.46%. However, when adjusted for population growth, the proportion per 100,000 people fell from 5.06 to 4.93, a decline of -2.57%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,429 | #2,482 | -2.18% |
| Count | 13,655 | 14,537 | 6.46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.06 | 4.93 | -2.57% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Handy
Regarding the ethnicity of those carrying the Handy surname, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest ethnic group remained those identifying as White, although their percentage dipped slightly from 58.57% to 55.47%. Those identifying as Black showed a modest increase from 35.79% to 36.38%. Notably, there were increases in the percentages of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.45% to 0.74%), those claiming two or more races (from 1.73% to 2.76%), and those identifying as Hispanic (from 3.07% to 4.12%). The American Indian/Alaskan Native group also saw an increase from 0.40% to 0.54%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 58.57% | 55.47% | -5.29% |
| Black | 35.79% | 36.38% | 1.65% |
| Hispanic | 3.07% | 4.12% | 34.2% |
| Two or More Races | 1.73% | 2.76% | 59.54% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.74% | 64.44% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.4% | 0.54% | 35% |
Handy 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 Handy is British & Irish, which comprises 48.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.0%) and Nigerian (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.9% |
| French & German | 22.0% |
| Nigerian | 4.7% |
| Other | 24.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Handy
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 Handy have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 80.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
What Handy 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 Handy is L-M27, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup L-M27 is descended from haplogroup L-M20. Other common haplogroups include I-Z60 and R-M467, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Drew, Hardy, Greene, Lynn, Holloway, Edwards, Booker, Green, Baxter, Porter.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Handy surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins L-M20
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many Lebanese people
Haplogroup L-M27 is represented in major religious populations within Lebanon, including both Lebanese Maronite and Muslim groups. It has been discovered that Lebanese Maronite populations are genetically distinct from Lebanese Muslim populations. This may mean that Lebanese Muslim groups are descendants of populations from the Arabian Peninsula who were involved in the Islamic expansion in the 7th century CE. On the other hand, Lebanese Maronite groups are likely descendants of western European populations involved in the Crusades during the 11th-13th centuries CE.
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 Handy 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.
"Handy" Surname 40.8%
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.
"Handy" Surname 19.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Handy" Surname 26.3%
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.
"Handy" Surname 18.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Handy?
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 Handy are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition