Explore the Family Name Higginbotham
The meaning of Higginbotham
English (Cheshire): habitational name from Oakenbottom in Bolton le Moors (Lancashire), probably originally called ǣcen-botme ‘oaken valley’. During the Middle Ages this name became successively Eakenbottom and Ickenbottom, with the first element becoming associated with the Lancashire and Cheshire dialect word hicken or higgen ‘mountain ash’ or the personal name Higgin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Higginbotham in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Higginbotham has seen a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was the 2304th most popular surname, but slipped to the 2492nd spot in 2010, marking a change of -8.16%. Despite the fall in popularity rank, the count of individuals with this surname increased by a marginal 0.59% over the decade, from 14,404 to 14,489. This indicates that although more people bore the name, its overall popularity decreased when compared to other surnames.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,304 | #2,492 | -8.16% |
| Count | 14,404 | 14,489 | 0.59% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.34 | 4.91 | -8.05% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Higginbotham
When considering the ethnic identity associated with the surname Higginbotham, the Decennial U.S. Census provides an intriguing picture. The largest ethnic group identified with this surname remained White, though the percentage dropped slightly from 90.31% in 2000 to 88.91% in 2010. During the same period, there was a significant increase in the number of people with this surname identifying as Hispanic (a rise of 71.09%) or belonging to two or more races (an increase of 65.74%). Those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander also saw a small increase from 0.39% to 0.43%. Conversely, the percentage of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals with this surname witnessed a decrease, falling by -3.06% and -17.5% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.31% | 88.91% | -1.55% |
| Black | 6.54% | 6.34% | -3.06% |
| Hispanic | 1.28% | 2.19% | 71.09% |
| Two or More Races | 1.08% | 1.79% | 65.74% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.39% | 0.43% | 10.26% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.4% | 0.33% | -17.5% |
Higginbotham 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 Higginbotham is British & Irish, which comprises 61.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.3%) and Eastern European (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, Italian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 61.1% |
| French & German | 20.3% |
| Eastern European | 3.5% |
| Other | 15.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Higginbotham
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 Higginbotham have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
What Higginbotham 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 Higginbotham is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Farnsworth, Tiffany, Stovall, Fortier, Dehart, Stauffer, Cyr, Casteel, Dodson, Ethridge.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Higginbotham 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 Higginbotham 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.
"Higginbotham" Surname 41.6%
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.
"Higginbotham" Surname 36.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Higginbotham" Surname 31.2%
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.
"Higginbotham" Surname 19.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Higginbotham?
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 Higginbotham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition