Explore the Family Name Kirk
The meaning of Kirk
Scottish, English, and Danish: from Middle English, Danish kirk ‘church’ (Old Norse kirkja), a topographic name for someone who lived near a church. This name has also been established in Ireland since the 16th century or earlier.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kirk in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Kirk has seen a slight decline over the past decade. In 2000, Kirk was ranked as the 582nd most popular surname in the United States and slipped down to the 623rd spot by 2010, marking a drop of 7.04%. Despite the decrease in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Kirk surname increased 4.49% from 52,056 in 2000 to 54,394 in 2010. However, the proportion of Kirks per 100,000 people fell slightly from 19.3 to 18.44, a 4.46% decrease.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #582 | #623 | -7.04% |
| Count | 52,056 | 54,394 | 4.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 19.3 | 18.44 | -4.46% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kirk
The ethnic identity associated with the Kirk surname also evolved between 2000 and 2010 based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. A significant increase was observed in the Asian/Pacific Islander group, which rose by an impressive 214.63%, though they still constituted only 1.29% of all Kirks in 2010. The category of those identifying with two or more ethnicities also saw growth, up 21.89%. There was a minor uptick of 1.34% in the Black community, while American Indian and Alaskan Native members increased their representation by 6.15%. People identifying as White still held the majority at 82.37%, although this represented a dip of 2.81% from 2000. Lastly, the Hispanic community experienced a considerable rise of 62.5%, yet they made up just 2.34% of Kirks in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.75% | 82.37% | -2.81% |
| Black | 10.42% | 10.56% | 1.34% |
| Hispanic | 1.44% | 2.34% | 62.5% |
| Two or More Races | 1.69% | 2.06% | 21.89% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.3% | 1.38% | 6.15% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 1.29% | 214.63% |
Kirk 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 Kirk is British & Irish, which comprises 56.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.1%) and Eastern European (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.3% |
| French & German | 22.1% |
| Eastern European | 3.8% |
| Other | 17.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Kirk
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 Kirk have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.00% |
What Kirk 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 Kirk 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-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Webb, Davis, Wright, Morris, Clark, Richards, Williams, West, Thomas, Harrison.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kirk 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 Kirk 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.
"Kirk" Surname 44.3%
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.
"Kirk" Surname 30.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kirk" Surname 22.3%
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.
"Kirk" Surname 17.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kirk?
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 Kirk are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition