Explore the Family Name Kelsey
The meaning of Kelsey
1. English: habitational name from North or South Kelsey in Lincolnshire, so named from an uncertain initial element (perhaps an Old English personal name with genitive -es) + Old English ēg ‘island’. 2. Possibly also an Americanized form of German Gelzer. History: William Kelsey was one of the founders of Hartford, CT, in 1635 (coming from Cambridge, MA with Thomas Hooker).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kelsey in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Kelsey" saw a slight decrease in rank from 2397 in 2000 to 2501 in 2010, marking a 4.34% dip. However, in terms of count, the number of individuals with the surname "Kelsey" grew by 4.38% from 13,849 in 2000 to 14,456 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people dipped slightly by 4.48%, moving from 5.13 to 4.9 over the same decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,397 | #2,501 | -4.34% |
| Count | 13,849 | 14,456 | 4.38% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.13 | 4.9 | -4.48% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kelsey
Discussing the ethnicity breakdown as provided by the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of those carrying the Kelsey surname identified themselves as white, even though this group experienced a slight decrease of 1.12% during the 2000-2010 period, moving from 85.05% to 84.10%. The Hispanic representation within the Kelsey surname bearers showed a significant increase of 49.66%, growing from 1.49% to 2.23%. Those identifying as two or more races also increased by 17.42%, while the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian and Alaskan Natives decreased by 2.94% and 14.38% respectively. The black community showed a marginal growth of 1.74% in the same time frame.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.05% | 84.1% | -1.12% |
| Black | 9.76% | 9.93% | 1.74% |
| Hispanic | 1.49% | 2.23% | 49.66% |
| Two or More Races | 1.55% | 1.82% | 17.42% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.46% | 1.25% | -14.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.68% | 0.66% | -2.94% |
Kelsey 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 Kelsey is British & Irish, which comprises 48.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.4%) and Eastern European (5.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Nigerian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.7% |
| French & German | 26.4% |
| Eastern European | 5.1% |
| Other | 19.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Kelsey
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 Kelsey have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
What Kelsey 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 Kelsey 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 R-L20 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Armstrong, Plummer, Chamberlain, Alford, Ryan, Chance, Starnes, Winn, Cooley, Nix.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kelsey 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 Kelsey 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.
"Kelsey" Surname 51.8%
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.
"Kelsey" Surname 23.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kelsey" Surname 23.2%
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.
"Kelsey" Surname 16.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kelsey?
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 Kelsey are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition