Explore the Family Name Henning

The meaning of Henning

1. German and Danish: from a pet form of the personal name Hans or Heinrich. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). 2. Dutch: from a pet form of the personal name Johannes (see John) or Hendrick (see Henry). 3. English: perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English personal name Henning, possibly a pet form of Old English Hēahnōth (from hēah ‘high, noble’ + nōth ‘daring’) by means of a short form Henn(a) + the hypocoristic suffix -ing. 4. English: variant of Hanning. 5. Norwegian: habitational name from a farm in Trøndelag. The first element possibly from hein ‘whetstone’; the second element is from Old Norse vin ‘meadow’. 6. Swedish: probably of the same origin as 1 above.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Henning's popularity changed slightly between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Henning was ranked as the 2056th most popular surname, while in 2010 it dropped to the 2199th spot, representing a decrease of about 6.96%. However, the number of people bearing this surname increased by 2.5%, from 16,153 in 2000 to 16,557 in 2010. Accordingly, the proportion of people named Henning per 100k population also saw a small decline of approximately 6.34%.

20002010Change
Rank#2,056#2,199-6.96%
Count16,15316,5572.5%
Proportion per 100k5.995.61-6.34%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Henning

In terms of ethnicity, again referencing data from the Decennial U.S. Census, there has been some change between 2000 and 2010. The largest proportion of Hennings identify as White, making up 93.38% in 2000 which dipped to 92.06% in 2010. During the same period, those identifying as Hispanic nearly doubled from 1.12% to 1.90%. There were also increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (35.00%), Black (8.06%), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (7.14%). The group identifying with two or more races also saw a modest increase of 6.48%.

20002010Change
White93.38%92.06%-1.41%
Black3.6%3.89%8.06%
Hispanic1.12%1.9%69.64%
Two or More Races1.08%1.15%6.48%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.4%0.54%35%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.42%0.45%7.14%

Henning 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 Henning is British & Irish, which comprises 36.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (34.7%) and Scandinavian (8.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish36.7%
French & German34.7%
Scandinavian8.0%
Other20.6%
Henning

Possible origins of the surname Henning

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom77.40%
Merseyside, United Kingdom77.20%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom77.20%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom76.90%
West Midlands, United Kingdom76.70%

What Henning 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 Henning is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS1211 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Koch, Braun, Rodgers, Conrad, Muller, Hill, White, Lambert, Lang.

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

henningPaternal 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 Henning 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

Henning

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Henning" Surname 43.8%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Henning

Misophonia

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

"Henning" Surname 30.4%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Henning

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Henning" Surname 23.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Henning

Migraine

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

"Henning" Surname 17.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Henning?

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 Henning 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%