Explore the Family Name Horn
The meaning of Horn
1. English, Scottish, German: from Middle English, Middle High German horn ‘horn’, applied in a variety of senses: as a metonymic occupational name for someone who made small articles, such as combs, spoons, and window lights, out of horn; as a metonymic occupational name for someone who played a musical instrument made from the horn of an animal; as a topographic name for someone who lived by a horn-shaped hill or tongue of land in river bend or as a habitational name from any of the places called with this element (for example, in England, Horne in Surrey, Rutland, or Somerset or Horn Hill in Yorkshire); as a nickname, perhaps referring to someone with a prominent nose, or denoting a cuckolded husband, from the Middle English expression haven an horn ‘to be a cuckold’. 2. German, Dutch, and Norwegian: habitational name from any of many places and farmsteads so named, referring to their location at a spur of land, at a horn shaped piece of land. 3. Swedish: ornamental or topographic name from horn ‘horn, spur of land’. 4. English: possibly a variant of Hearn. 5. Jewish (Ashkenazic): presumably from German Horn ‘horn’ (compare 1 above), adopted as a surname for reasons that are not clear. It may be purely artificial, or it may refer to the ram’s horn (Hebrew shofar) blown in the synagogue during various ceremonies. 6. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 韩, possibly based on its Cantonese pronunciation, see Han 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Horn in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Horn has seen a shift in its popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 593rd most popular surname, but by 2010 it had fallen to the 655th position, marking a decrease of 10.46%. However, the total number of individuals bearing this surname slightly increased during this period. There were 51,380 people with the last name Horn in 2000 and this number grew by 1.48% to reach 52,138 in 2010. Nevertheless, the proportion of people named Horn per 100,000 decreased by 7.19%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #593 | #655 | -10.46% |
| Count | 51,380 | 52,138 | 1.48% |
| Proportion per 100k | 19.05 | 17.68 | -7.19% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Horn
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Horn also experienced some changes between 2000 and 2010, as revealed by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest portion of individuals with this surname identified as White, constituting 86.75% in 2000 which decreased slightly to 85.15% in 2010. The second largest group identified as Black, increasing marginally from 8.31% to 8.65%. People identifying as Hispanic represented 1.48% in 2000 and saw a significant increase to 2.22% in 2010. Additionally, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying with two or more races witnessed increases of 16.67% and 24.66% respectively. Lastly, a small percentage identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native, with a modest rise from 1.16% to 1.18% over this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.75% | 85.15% | -1.84% |
| Black | 8.31% | 8.65% | 4.09% |
| Hispanic | 1.48% | 2.22% | 50% |
| Two or More Races | 1.46% | 1.82% | 24.66% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.16% | 1.18% | 1.72% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.84% | 0.98% | 16.67% |
Horn 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 Horn is British & Irish, which comprises 44.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.3%) and Eastern European (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 44.9% |
| French & German | 28.3% |
| Eastern European | 5.5% |
| Other | 21.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Horn
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 Horn have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 80.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 80.10% |
What Horn 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 Horn 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 I-F2642 and R-Z159, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Meyer, Miller, Fischer, Hill, Young, Wagner, Smith, Cook, Lang, Schneider.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Horn 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 Horn 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.
"Horn" Surname 43.3%
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.
"Horn" Surname 26.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Horn" Surname 26.9%
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.
"Horn" Surname 17.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Horn?
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 Horn are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition