Explore the Family Name Ireland
The meaning of Ireland
1. English and Scottish: ethnic name denoting someone from Ireland, from Middle English Irland, Irlond, Erlond (Old English Īraland). The country gets its name from the genitive case of Old English Īras ‘Irishmen’ + land ‘land’. The stem Īr- is taken from the Celtic name for Ireland, Èriu, earlier Everiu. The Latin name was (H)ibernia. The surname is especially common in Liverpool, England, which has a large Irish population. Compare Irish. 2. Americanized form of Erland.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ireland in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Ireland saw a minor decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, sliding down from 2342 to 2445, marking a change of -4.4%. However, the count of individuals with this surname rose from 14,168 to 14,800 during the same period, which is an increase of 4.46%. Despite this growth in actual numbers, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, the frequency of the surname Ireland fell slightly by -4.38%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,342 | #2,445 | -4.4% |
| Count | 14,168 | 14,800 | 4.46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.25 | 5.02 | -4.38% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ireland
Turning to ethnicity, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census, those bearing the surname Ireland mainly identify as White, comprising 88.3% of the total in 2010, down from 90.2% in 2000. The second largest ethnic group is Black, accounting for 6.86% in 2010, up from 6.37% in 2000. Notably, the census data also shows considerable growth in two specific ethnic identities: the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled from 0.32% to 0.56%, and the Hispanic community nearly doubled from 1.20% to 2.34%. Meanwhile, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a modest rise from 0.51% to 0.61%. Those identifying with two or more races decreased slightly from 1.38% to 1.32%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.22% | 88.3% | -2.13% |
| Black | 6.37% | 6.86% | 7.69% |
| Hispanic | 1.2% | 2.34% | 95% |
| Two or More Races | 1.38% | 1.32% | -4.35% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.51% | 0.61% | 19.61% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.32% | 0.56% | 75% |
Ireland 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 Ireland is British & Irish, which comprises 55.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.0%) and Scandinavian (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.1% |
| French & German | 24.0% |
| Scandinavian | 4.2% |
| Other | 16.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Ireland
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 Ireland have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
What Ireland 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 Ireland 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-Z2535 and R-Z255, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Owens, Wilson, Kelley, Owen, Clark, Webb, Harrison, Martin, Morris, Davis.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ireland 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 Ireland 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.
"Ireland" Surname 45.5%
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.
"Ireland" Surname 27.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ireland" Surname 21.0%
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.
"Ireland" Surname 16.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ireland?
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 Ireland are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition