Explore the Family Name Kish
The meaning of Kish
1. Americanized form of Hungarian Kiss, meaning ‘small’, and of its Slavicized (mainly Serbian and Croatian) form Kiš (see Kis). Compare Kisch. 2. Rusyn: nickname of Hungarian origin, meaning ‘small’ (see 1 above). 3. Ukrainian: metonymic occupational name for a basketmaker, from kish ‘basket’. 4. Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Kisch.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kish in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kish has experienced a slight shift in its popularity within the United States. In 2000, it ranked 3903 in terms of prevalence, but by 2010, it had slipped to 4072 — a drop of 4.33 percent. Despite this decrease in ranking, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname increased from 8366 to 8725 over the same period — a growth of 4.29 percent. However, the proportion of people with the surname Kish per 100,000 members of the populace declined by 4.52 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,903 | #4,072 | -4.33% |
| Count | 8,366 | 8,725 | 4.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.1 | 2.96 | -4.52% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kish
When it comes to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of those carrying the Kish surname identifies as White, although there was a minor decrease from 96.92 percent in 2000 to 95.48 percent in 2010. The percentage of Hispanics and Blacks with this surname saw significant increases of 63.41 percent and 126.67 percent respectively. Although still relatively low in numbers, the American Indian and Alaskan Native segment also rose dramatically by 325 percent. The percentage of Asians/Pacific Islanders and those identifying with two or more races remained relatively stable during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.92% | 95.48% | -1.49% |
| Hispanic | 1.23% | 2.01% | 63.41% |
| Two or More Races | 0.92% | 0.94% | 2.17% |
| Black | 0.3% | 0.68% | 126.67% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.55% | 0.55% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.08% | 0.34% | 325% |
Kish 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 Kish is British & Irish, which comprises 30.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Eastern European (27.5%) and French & German (20.9%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Greek & Balkan, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 30.5% |
| Eastern European | 27.5% |
| French & German | 20.9% |
| Other | 21.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Kish
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 Kish have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 59.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 59.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 59.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 59.40% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 59.40% |
What Kish 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 Kish is R-CTS3402, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS3402 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include E-M5021 and I-S17250, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Knoll, Horvath, Sikora, Nagy, Novak, Urban, Toth, Szabo, Schuster, Fiedler.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kish surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Kish 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.
"Kish" Surname 42.3%
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.
"Kish" Surname 41.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kish" Surname 21.8%
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.
"Kish" Surname 13.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kish?
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 Kish are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition