Explore the Family Name Harrell

The meaning of Harrell

1. English: variant of Harold. 2. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hEarghail ‘descendant of Earghal’, a variant of the personal name Fearghal (see Farrell).

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Harrell has seen a slight decrease in rank from 638 in 2000 to 671 in 2010, which represents a drop of 5.17%. However, despite this drop in ranking, the actual number of people with the Harrell surname increased by 4.88% from 48,471 in 2000 to 50,837 in 2010. The proportion of individuals with this surname per 100,000 people also decreased slightly from 17.97 in 2000 to 17.23 in 2010, marking a 4.12% decrease.

20002010Change
Rank#638#671-5.17%
Count48,47150,8374.88%
Proportion per 100k17.9717.23-4.12%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Harrell

When it comes to ethnic identity associated with the Harrell surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows various shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Harrells identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw increases of 16.67% and 15.91%, respectively. The segment identifying as having two or more races experienced a significant increase of 51.72%. Hispanic Harrells also rose by 62.10%. On the other hand, the largest group, White, decreased slightly by 3.91% while Black Harrells experienced a minor increase of 3.74%. These figures illustrate the diverse ethnicity associated with the surname Harrell.

20002010Change
White68.77%66.08%-3.91%
Black27.8%28.84%3.74%
Two or More Races1.45%2.2%51.72%
Hispanic1.24%2.01%62.1%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.44%0.51%15.91%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.3%0.35%16.67%

Harrell 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 Harrell is British & Irish, which comprises 58.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.2%) and Nigerian (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, and Angolan & Congolese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish58.8%
French & German19.2%
Nigerian4.2%
Other17.8%
Harrell

Possible origins of the surname Harrell

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom84.80%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom84.70%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom84.40%
Merseyside, United Kingdom84.30%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom84.00%

What Harrell 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 Harrell is R-Z57, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z57 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS4521 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Henson, Titus, Bowman, Stoner, Shaffer, Bono, Hanson, Schaeffer, Brown, Stevens.

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

harrellPaternal 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 Harrell 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

Harrell

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Harrell" Surname 41.8%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Harrell

Misophonia

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

"Harrell" Surname 25.4%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Harrell

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Harrell" Surname 27.2%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Harrell

Migraine

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

"Harrell" Surname 16.8%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Harrell?

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 Harrell 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%