Explore the Family Name Hirsch
The meaning of Hirsch
1. German: from Middle High German hir(t)z ‘deer, stag’; a metonymic occupational name for a keeper of deer, a nickname for someone thought to resemble a deer or stag, or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a stag. It is also found in some Central European countries, for example in Czechia and Slovenia, often as a translation into German of corresponding Slavic surnames, e.g. Jelen. In some cases this is also a standardized form of the Gottscheerish (i.e. Gottschee German) surname Hiris. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish male personal name Hirsh ‘deer’, which is common because of the association of the deer with the Hebrew personal name Naphtali, deriving from the blessing by Jacob of his sons (Genesis 49:21), in which Naphtali is referred to as a ‘hind let loose’. Compare Deer, Jelen, Jelinek, and Jelonek. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Emanuel, Meyer, Shimon, Moshe, Yosef, Beril, Chaim, Elihu, Eliyohu. German Kurt, Otto, Erwin, Hans, Heinz, Helmut, Beate, Fritz, Gunther, Hedwig, Hilde, Ilse.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hirsch in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Hirsch saw a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010. The name was ranked 1959th in popularity in the year 2000 and dropped to 2120th by 2010, reflecting a change of -8.22%. However, the count for this surname increased by 1.23% from 16,864 individuals in 2000 to 17,072 in 2010. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 decreased by 7.36%, from 6.25 in 2000 to 5.79 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,959 | #2,120 | -8.22% |
| Count | 16,864 | 17,072 | 1.23% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.25 | 5.79 | -7.36% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hirsch
When it comes to ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates some shifts from 2000 to 2010. A majority of those with the Hirsch surname identified as White, although this percentage slightly decreased from 95.84% in 2000 to 94.83% in 2010. Meanwhile, the Hispanic representation within this surname group increased by 40%, moving from 1.80% to 2.52%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw increases of 25% and 40% respectively. The proportion of individuals identifying with two or more races increased by 13.75%, while the Black population remained stable at 0.93%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.84% | 94.83% | -1.05% |
| Hispanic | 1.8% | 2.52% | 40% |
| Black | 0.93% | 0.93% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0.8% | 0.91% | 13.75% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.48% | 0.6% | 25% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.15% | 0.21% | 40% |
Hirsch 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 Hirsch is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 37.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (22.2%) and French & German (20.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 37.7% |
| British & Irish | 22.2% |
| French & German | 20.9% |
| Other | 19.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Hirsch
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 Hirsch have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 51.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 51.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 51.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 51.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 51.00% |
What Hirsch 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 Hirsch 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-L48 and J-CTS5368, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Schwartz, Rosenberg, Klein, Simon, Weiss, Kaufman, Stein, Berger, Gold, Frank.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hirsch surname are: K1a1b1a, H1, 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 Hirsch 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.
"Hirsch" Surname 42.6%
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.
"Hirsch" Surname 20.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hirsch" Surname 15.3%
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.
"Hirsch" Surname 18.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hirsch?
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 Hirsch are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition