Explore the Family Name Irving
The meaning of Irving
Scottish: variant of Irvine. History: The writer Washington Irving (1783–1859), who wrote the stories ‘Rip Van Winkle’ and ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’, was born in NY. His father was Deacon William Irving (from a family also recorded as Irvine), who came to NY in 1763 from Orkney, Scotland, a former British packet officer, a patriot during the Revolution, and a successful merchant.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Irving in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Irving has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. It was ranked as the 2,372nd most popular surname in 2000, but by 2010 it had slipped to the 2,433rd spot, marking a change of -2.57%. Despite this drop in ranking, the number of people with the Irving surname actually increased by 6.42% during the same period, from 13,997 to 14,896. The proportion of individuals named Irving per 100,000 also decreased slightly (-2.7%) over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,372 | #2,433 | -2.57% |
| Count | 13,997 | 14,896 | 6.42% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.19 | 5.05 | -2.7% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Irving
In terms of ethnicity, the 2010 Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the distribution of the Irving surname across different ethnic identities experienced some changes between 2000 and 2010. The largest percentage of Irvings identified as White (51.42%), followed by Black (40.75%). However, there were notable increases in the Hispanic and "Two or more races" categories, with growth rates of 71.35% and 44.86% respectively. Meanwhile, the Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native groups also saw increases, albeit at smaller rates of 19.51% and 6.10% respectively. On the other hand, the proportion of White individuals with the Irving surname dipped slightly, by about 4.95%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 54.1% | 51.42% | -4.95% |
| Black | 40.28% | 40.75% | 1.17% |
| Hispanic | 1.71% | 2.93% | 71.35% |
| Two or More Races | 1.85% | 2.68% | 44.86% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.64% | 1.74% | 6.1% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.49% | 19.51% |
Irving 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 Irving is British & Irish, which comprises 52.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (15.1%) and Nigerian (5.9%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.0% |
| French & German | 15.1% |
| Nigerian | 5.9% |
| Other | 27.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Irving
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 Irving have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 76.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 76.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 75.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 75.60% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 75.30% |
What Irving 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 Irving is R-L555, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L555 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ervin, Byers, Penn, Jones, Evans, Morgan, Person, Lewis, Phillips, James.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Irving surname are: H1, K1a, 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 Irving 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.
"Irving" Surname 49.5%
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.
"Irving" Surname 24.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Irving" Surname 24.3%
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.
"Irving" Surname 19.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Irving?
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 Irving are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition