Explore the Family Name Huntington
The meaning of Huntington
English (northern): habitational name from any of various places called Huntington, most of which are named with Old English huntena, the genitive plural form of hunta ‘hunter, huntsman’, + dūn ‘hill’ or tūn ‘farmstead, estate’. Some, however, may have Old English hunting ‘hunting’ as the initial element, while others may derive from the Old English personal name Hunta (genitive Huntan), perhaps with Old English connective -ing-, + tūn. The surname may also arise from Huntingdon (Huntingdonshire), which derives from the Old English personal name Hunta (genitive Huntan) or Old English hunta (genitive huntan) + dūn. History: A prominent American family of this name were founded by Simon Huntington, who himself never saw the New World, for he died in 1633 on the voyage to Boston, where his widow settled with her children. Their descendants include Jabez Huntington (1719–86), a wealthy West Indies trader, and Samuel Huntington (1731–96), who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Collis Potter Huntington (1821–1900) was an American railway magnate. Beginning with little education or money, he made a huge fortune, some of which he left to his nephew, Henry Huntington (1850–1927), who used the money to establish the Huntington library and art gallery in CA.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Huntington in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Huntington has seen a slight change over a decade. In 2000, Huntington was the 4637th most popular surname with a count of 6991 occurrences. By 2010, it had dropped slightly in rank to 4831, despite an increase in count to 7306. This suggests a growth in the number of people with this surname, but also indicates that other surnames have become more common in the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,637 | #4,831 | -4.18% |
| Count | 6,991 | 7,306 | 4.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.59 | 2.48 | -4.25% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Huntington
When reviewing the ethnic identity linked to the surname Huntington, data from the Decennial U.S. Census show some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The majority of those with the surname identified as White, although this percentage decreased from 90.47% to 88.17%. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native all increased. The most significant jumps were seen within the Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, with increases of 47.17% and 30.81% respectively. This suggests a growing diversity among individuals carrying the Huntington surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.47% | 88.17% | -2.54% |
| Black | 3.75% | 4.24% | 13.07% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.85% | 2.42% | 30.81% |
| Hispanic | 1.85% | 2.37% | 28.11% |
| Two or More Races | 1.56% | 2.01% | 28.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.78% | 47.17% |
Huntington 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 Huntington is British & Irish, which comprises 50.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.5%) and Scandinavian (5.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Indigenous American, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.2% |
| French & German | 23.5% |
| Scandinavian | 5.9% |
| Other | 20.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Huntington
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 Huntington have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
What Huntington 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 Huntington is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z150 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Peckham, Gaskill, Larue, Pauley, Shipley, Messick, Elam, Mayfield, Thacker, Dillard.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Huntington surname are: H1, N, 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 Huntington 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.
"Huntington" Surname 43.1%
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.
"Huntington" Surname 20.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Huntington" Surname 22.7%
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.
"Huntington" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Huntington?
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 Huntington are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition