Explore the Family Name Helton
The meaning of Helton
English (Lancashire): habitational name from Helton in Askham (Westmorland), from Old English helde ‘slope’ + tūn ‘farmstead, estate’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Helton in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Helton saw a minor slip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Helton ranked as the 1310th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 1414th spot, marking a decrease of about 7.94%. However, despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of people bearing the surname Helton increased from 24,624 to 25,118 during the same period. This implies an increase of approximately 2.01%, suggesting that the surname's overall prevalence remained relatively stable.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,310 | #1,414 | -7.94% |
| Count | 24,624 | 25,118 | 2.01% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.13 | 8.52 | -6.68% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Helton
Moving onto ethnicity, data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates diversity among the bearers of the Helton surname in 2000 and 2010. The majority identifies as White with a representation of 92.73% in 2000 which slightly decreased to 91.58% in 2010. It’s worth noting that there was a significant increase in individuals who identified as Hispanic or as belonging to two or more races. Hispanic representation surged by 42.22% from 1.35% in 2000 to 1.92% in 2010. Similarly, those identifying with two or more races saw a substantial growth of 27.54%, going from 1.38% to 1.76%. Other ethnic identities such as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native also showed moderate increases within the ten-year period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.73% | 91.58% | -1.24% |
| Black | 3.49% | 3.57% | 2.29% |
| Hispanic | 1.35% | 1.92% | 42.22% |
| Two or More Races | 1.38% | 1.76% | 27.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.78% | 13.04% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.39% | 11.43% |
Helton 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 Helton is British & Irish, which comprises 63.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.1%) and Scandinavian (2.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, Italian, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 63.9% |
| French & German | 21.1% |
| Scandinavian | 2.3% |
| Other | 12.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Helton
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 Helton have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 94.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 94.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 94.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 94.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 94.60% |
What Helton 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 Helton is R-Y4010, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y4010 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include Q-M3 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ramsey, Corbett, Maloney, Graber, Crowe, Sanders, Guy, Pascoe, De Leon, Jimenez.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Helton 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 Helton 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.
"Helton" Surname 39.8%
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.
"Helton" Surname 32.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Helton" Surname 27.4%
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.
"Helton" Surname 20.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Helton?
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 Helton are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition