Explore the Family Name Hirst

The meaning of Hirst

1. English (Yorkshire and Lancashire): variant of Hurst. 2. German: variant of Hürst (see Hurst).

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

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

The surname Hirst, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data, saw a minor decrease in its popularity ranking from 2000 to 2010, sliding from rank 8554 to 9011, signifying a change of -5.34%. Despite this, the overall count of individuals with the surname Hirst increased slightly over the decade, with an increase of 2.37% from 3546 to 3630. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a marginal decrease of -6.11%, moving from 1.31 to 1.23.

20002010Change
Rank#8,554#9,011-5.34%
Count3,5463,6302.37%
Proportion per 100k1.311.23-6.11%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hirst

Analyzing the ethnic identity distribution associated with the surname Hirst based on the Decennial U.S. Census, we observe some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The predominant ethnicity remained White, though it decreased slightly from 95.46% to 92.95%. There were considerable increases in the percentage of Hirsts identifying as Hispanic (rising by 49.71%), Black (a significant jump of 266.67%) and those reporting two or more races (increasing by 21.74%). Small increases were also seen in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native, with both groups experiencing a rise of 22.22%.

20002010Change
White95.46%92.95%-2.63%
Hispanic1.75%2.62%49.71%
Two or More Races1.38%1.68%21.74%
Black0.42%1.54%266.67%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.54%0.66%22.22%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.45%0.55%22.22%

Hirst 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 Hirst is British & Irish, which comprises 59.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.8%) and Scandinavian (6.2%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Italian, Greek & Balkan, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish59.6%
French & German20.8%
Scandinavian6.2%
Other13.4%
Hirst

Possible origins of the surname Hirst

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 Hirst have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom91.70%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom91.70%
Lancashire, United Kingdom91.70%
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom91.70%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom91.00%

What Hirst 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 Hirst is R-CTS4065, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS4065 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-DF29, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Yarbrough, Bristow, Gay, Hargett, Cintron, Rye, Solorio, Duke, Wilder, Tillotson.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hirst surname are: H1, H5a1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

hirstPaternal 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 Hirst 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

Hirst

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Hirst" Surname 57.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Hirst

Misophonia

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

"Hirst" Surname 34.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Hirst

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Hirst" Surname 21.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Hirst

Migraine

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

"Hirst" Surname 15.9%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Hirst?

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 Hirst 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%