Explore the Family Name Hellman

The meaning of Hellman

1. English (Devon): topographic name denoting a dweller on a hill, from Middle English hil(le), hel(le) ‘hill’ + man. Compare Heller and Hillman. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Hellerman. 3. Americanized form of German Hellmann.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Hellman has seen a decline in popularity over the first decade of the 21st century. From 2000 to 2010, its rank fell from 6923 to 9661, marking a decrease of 39.55%. The number of individuals bearing the Hellman surname also saw a drop, with the count falling from 4,469 in 2000 to 3,360 in 2010. This represents a drop of 24.82%. Additionally, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 31.33%, dropping from 1.66 in 2000 to 1.14 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#6,923#9,661-39.55%
Count4,4693,360-24.82%
Proportion per 100k1.661.14-31.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hellman

When it comes to ethnicity, the Hellman surname is predominately associated with the White ethnic group. According to the Decennial U.S. Census, this group accounted for 96.35% in 2000 and 94.38% in 2010. However, there has been a growth in diversity among those who carry the Hellman surname. Over the decade, there was an increase in the percentages of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native. For instance, those identifying as Two or more races saw the most significant increase, from 1.01% in 2000 to 1.79% in 2010, translating to a change of 77.23%. Also, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native increased by 143.75%, although their overall percentage remains small at 0.39% in 2010.

20002010Change
White96.35%94.38%-2.04%
Hispanic1.3%1.99%53.08%
Two or More Races1.01%1.79%77.23%
Black0.67%0.86%28.36%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.51%0.6%17.65%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.16%0.39%143.75%

Hellman 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 Hellman is British & Irish, which comprises 27.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.6%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (19.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Finnish, Italian, and Korean.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish27.3%
French & German25.6%
Ashkenazi Jewish19.1%
Other27.9%
Hellman

Possible origins of the surname Hellman

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 Hellman have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom61.40%
West Midlands, United Kingdom61.40%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom61.40%
Merseyside, United Kingdom61.40%
Greater London, United Kingdom61.40%

What Hellman 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 Hellman is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L23 and I-M253, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: August, Knoll, Leo, Fleischer, Stephan, Adam, Osman, Blank, Lazarus, Rosenbaum.

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

hellmanPaternal 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 Hellman 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

Hellman

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Hellman" Surname 59.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Hellman

Misophonia

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

"Hellman" Surname 15.6%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Hellman

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Hellman" Surname 13.1%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Hellman

Migraine

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

"Hellman" Surname 16.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Hellman?

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 Hellman 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%