Explore the Family Name Isaacson

The meaning of Isaacson

Jewish and English: patronymic from the Old Testament personal name Isaac + -son. In North America, this surname has probably also assimilated cognate names from other languages.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Isaacson has seen a slight fluctuation between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the name ranked 4417th most common in the U.S., but by 2010 it had dropped to 4628th, showing a decrease of 4.78%. However, the actual count of people with this surname increased from 7425 to 7668 during the same period, marking an increase of 3.27%. Also, the proportion of individuals bearing the Isaacson surname per 100,000 people decreased by 5.45% over the decade, going from 2.75 to 2.6.

20002010Change
Rank#4,417#4,628-4.78%
Count7,4257,6683.27%
Proportion per 100k2.752.6-5.45%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Isaacson

When it comes to ethnic identity associated with the Isaacson surname, the census data shows some changes between 2000 and 2010. The majority of those with the name were identified as White, although this percentage decreased slightly from 96.78% to 95.36%. The Hispanic representation among Isaacsons saw the biggest jump, increasing by 78.18%, while the Asian/Pacific Islander identity also grew by 45.61%. Those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native under the Isaacson surname also saw increases at 53.85% and 78.57% respectively. Those with the Isaacson surname identifying with two or more races increased marginally by 2.65%. This data is based on the Decennial U.S. Census.

20002010Change
White96.78%95.36%-1.47%
Hispanic1.1%1.96%78.18%
Two or More Races1.13%1.16%2.65%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.57%0.83%45.61%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.28%0.5%78.57%
Black0.13%0.2%53.85%

Isaacson 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 Isaacson is British & Irish, which comprises 27.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Ashkenazi Jewish (23.2%) and French & German (16.8%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Finnish, Eastern European, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish27.1%
Ashkenazi Jewish23.2%
French & German16.8%
Other32.9%
Isaacson

Possible origins of the surname Isaacson

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 Isaacson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom65.40%
Merseyside, United Kingdom65.00%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom65.00%
West Midlands, United Kingdom65.00%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom65.00%

What Isaacson 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 Isaacson is E-M5021, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-M5021 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include I-L22 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nielsen, Jacobsen, Jensen, Larsen, Hansen, Sorensen, Nelson, Schumacher, Cramer, Rasmussen.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Isaacson surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

isaacsonPaternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to early European farmers

If you have haplogroup E1b1b1, your paternal line stems from a branch of E-M215 called E-M5021. Men bearing this lineage migrated from the Balkans to southwestern Europe during the spread of agriculture by early farmers in the agricultural revolution, which began about 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. Early members of haplogroup E1b1b1, some of the world's first farmers, had a competitive advantage over native men, who didn't have farming technology. As a result of this advantage, haplogroup E1b1b1 became widespread and populous during the agricultural revolution. The effects of this ancient advantage are still seen today, with haplogroup E1b1b1 being represented from Portugal and Spain to Palestine, southern Africa, and Russia.

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 Isaacson 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

Isaacson

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Isaacson" Surname 40.3%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Isaacson

Misophonia

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

"Isaacson" Surname 23.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Isaacson

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Isaacson" Surname 23.3%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Isaacson

Migraine

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

"Isaacson" Surname 17.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Isaacson?

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 Isaacson 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%