Explore the Family Name Judd

The meaning of Judd

1. English: from the Middle English personal name Judde, Jutte, a pet form of Jordan. 2. German: variant of Jude.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Judd saw a slight decrease in rank from 1879 in 2000 to 1991 in 2010, marking a change of -5.96. However, the count of individuals with the surname Judd increased by 3.3 percent from 17,532 in 2000 to 18,110 in 2010. This increase is mirrored in the proportion of this surname per 100k people, which decreased slightly from 6.5 in 2000 to 6.14 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#1,879#1,991-5.96%
Count17,53218,1103.3%
Proportion per 100k6.56.14-5.54%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Judd

Moving to the ethnic identity of individuals bearing the surname Judd, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that there have been significant changes between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of individuals identified as White (88.56 percent), this represented a slight decrease from 2000 when it was 90.42 percent. There was also a marginal decrease in those identifying as Black, moving from 5.62 percent in 2000 to 5.51 percent in 2010. The most noticeable increases were within the Hispanic demographic, rising from 1.43 percent in 2000 to 2.42 percent in 2010, and those reporting two or more races, increasing from 1.29 percent to 1.86 percent. There was also a growth in the Asian/Pacific Islander demographic and the American Indian and Alaskan Native group, with an increase of 37.84 percent and 28 percent respectively.

20002010Change
White90.42%88.56%-2.06%
Black5.62%5.51%-1.96%
Hispanic1.43%2.42%69.23%
Two or More Races1.29%1.86%44.19%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.74%1.02%37.84%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.5%0.64%28%

Judd 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 Judd is British & Irish, which comprises 53.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.9%) and Scandinavian (5.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish53.0%
French & German25.9%
Scandinavian5.3%
Other15.9%
Judd

Possible origins of the surname Judd

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 Judd have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom89.80%
Merseyside, United Kingdom89.80%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom89.50%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom89.50%
West Midlands, United Kingdom89.50%

What Judd 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 Judd is R-L664, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L664 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include I-S2488 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Couch, Dent, Willard, Ives, Bickford, Hand, Prendergast, Keeney, Stetson, Cheatham.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Judd surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

juddPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420

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 Judd 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

Judd

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Judd" Surname 46.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Judd

Misophonia

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

"Judd" Surname 28.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Judd

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Judd" Surname 19.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Judd

Migraine

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

"Judd" Surname 18.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Judd?

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 Judd 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%