Explore the Family Name Hills
The meaning of Hills
English: variant of Hill with genitival -s if a relationship name, attested in Matilda Hilles, 1327 (Somerset), where the genitival form may signify widowhood; or with plural -s if habitational, attested in Johanne de Hyles, 1379 (Bickerstaffe, Lancashire), and Ricardo del Hyles, 1379 (Great Eccleston, Lancashire); or, with post-medieval excrescent -s, probably the most common form.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hills in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Hills has seen marginal changes in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname shifted slightly from 2589 to 2608, marking a decline of 0.73%. However, the overall count of individuals with this surname experienced an increase of 7.48%, going from 12,867 in 2000 to 13,829 in 2010. This resulted in a minor reduction in proportion per 100,000 people, moving from 4.77 to 4.69, a decrease of 1.68%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,589 | #2,608 | -0.73% |
| Count | 12,867 | 13,829 | 7.48% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.77 | 4.69 | -1.68% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hills
Regarding ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts in the distribution of the surname Hills across different ethnic identities between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 42.59%, and those reporting two or more races saw an increase of 44.90%. The percentage of individuals with the Hills surname who identified as White decreased by 4.30%, while the proportion of Hispanic individuals grew by 61.59%. Those identifying as Black also saw an increase, though more modest at 3.98%. Meanwhile, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals slightly declined by 4.92%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 66.82% | 63.95% | -4.3% |
| Black | 29.18% | 30.34% | 3.98% |
| Hispanic | 1.38% | 2.23% | 61.59% |
| Two or More Races | 1.47% | 2.13% | 44.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.77% | 42.59% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.61% | 0.58% | -4.92% |
Hills 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 Hills is British & Irish, which comprises 54.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.8%) and Scandinavian (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.4% |
| French & German | 22.8% |
| Scandinavian | 4.2% |
| Other | 18.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Hills
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 Hills have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 84.40% |
What Hills 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 Hills 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-CTS241 and I-Z58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Eddy, Sexton, Keyes, Barrow, Salisbury, Alford, Murrell, Winn, Plummer, O'Neal.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hills surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Hills 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.
"Hills" Surname 42.1%
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.
"Hills" Surname 26.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hills" Surname 17.4%
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.
"Hills" Surname 17.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hills?
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 Hills are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition