Explore the Family Name Herd
The meaning of Herd
1. Scottish (Fife) and English: variant of Heard. 2. German: variant of Herdt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Herd in the United States?
The surname Herd, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, experienced a drop in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the surname fell by 16.37% from the 6000th position in 2000 to the 6982nd in 2010. The count of individuals with this surname also decreased by approximately 9.15%, falling from 5,287 in 2000 to 4,803 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people with the surname Herd declined by 16.84%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,000 | #6,982 | -16.37% |
| Count | 5,287 | 4,803 | -9.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.96 | 1.63 | -16.84% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Herd
When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Herd, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows varied changes between 2000 and 2010. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 76.47%, and those reporting two or more races saw a rise of 35.75%. The proportion of individuals with the Herd surname who identify as Hispanic rose by 83.33%, whereas those identifying as White saw a decrease of 3.25%. The percentage of Black individuals remained relatively stable with a marginal increase of 0.52%. Meanwhile, the American Indian and Alaskan Native representation saw a decline of 13.48%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75.94% | 73.47% | -3.25% |
| Black | 19.05% | 19.15% | 0.52% |
| Hispanic | 1.68% | 3.08% | 83.33% |
| Two or More Races | 1.93% | 2.62% | 35.75% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.51% | 0.9% | 76.47% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.89% | 0.77% | -13.48% |
Herd 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 Herd is British & Irish, which comprises 53.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.9%) and Scandinavian (4.8%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Nigerian, Eastern European, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.0% |
| French & German | 21.9% |
| Scandinavian | 4.8% |
| Other | 20.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Herd
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 Herd have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| South Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
What Herd 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 Herd is E-L677, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-L677 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include I-DF29 and J-M172, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Heard, Edge, Klassen, Fitzgerald, Staub, Montano, Watts, Saad, Plotkin, Newman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Herd surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to trans-Mediterranean migrants
Some of the early members of E-L677 completed a large, trans-Mediterranean migration directly from Africa as early as 11,000 years ago. This large migration is probably why haplogroup E1b1b1a1b2 is fairly common among people from both northern Africa and the Mediterranean region. During a more recent migration, haplogroup E1b1b1a1b2 probably spread from northern Africa to eastern Africa along the Nile River. The migrations of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b2 through Africa and Europe have resulted in its present-day widespread distribution throughout northern and eastern Africa, western Asia, and the Mediterranean.
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 Herd 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.
"Herd" Surname 31.2%
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.
"Herd" Surname 22.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Herd" Surname 27.3%
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.
"Herd" Surname 18.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Herd?
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 Herd are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition