Explore the Family Name Kissinger
The meaning of Kissinger
German and Jewish (from Germany): habitational name for someone from Bad Kissingen or Kissing in Bavaria, both of which are, according to Bahlow, probably named with the lost element kis(s) ‘marsh, swamp’. History: Henry Alfred Kissinger, an American politician and diplomat, was born Heinz Alfred Kissinger in Fürth, Bavaria, Germany, in 1923 to a German Jewish family. The surname Kissinger was adopted in 1817 by his great-great-grandfather Meyer Löb, who came to the Bavarian spa town of Bad Kissingen in 1795 from Kleineibstadt, also in Bavaria. During his residing in Bad Kissingen, Meyer Löb took the name based on the name of his new hometown as a surname.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kissinger in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the Kissinger surname has grown over a decade from 2000 to 2010. The rank rose from 5,993 in 2000 to 5,390 in 2010, reflecting a growth rate of 10.06%. The count of people bearing this surname also saw an increase of 21.98%, from 5,292 in 2000 to 6,455 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of individuals with the Kissinger surname per 100,000 people increased by 11.73%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,993 | #5,390 | 10.06% |
| Count | 5,292 | 6,455 | 21.98% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.96 | 2.19 | 11.73% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kissinger
As per the ethnic identity data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, there have been some shifts in the breakdown of ethnicity among individuals with the Kissinger surname between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the majority identified as White (96.32%), which marginally decreased to 95.20% in 2010. Hispanic representation showed a significant increase of 49.68%, moving from 1.55% in 2000 to 2.32% in 2010. The percentage of Kissingers who identify as Black also rose by 52.94%, albeit from a low base of 0.17% in 2000 to 0.26% in 2010. Notably, the share of those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native slightly increased by 25.49% and 26.92% respectively, while those identifying with two or more races showed a modest rise of 5.04%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.32% | 95.2% | -1.16% |
| Hispanic | 1.55% | 2.32% | 49.68% |
| Two or More Races | 1.19% | 1.25% | 5.04% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.51% | 0.64% | 25.49% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.26% | 0.33% | 26.92% |
| Black | 0.17% | 0.26% | 52.94% |
Kissinger 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 Kissinger is French & German, which comprises 42.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (38.9%) and Eastern European (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Filipino & Austronesian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 42.3% |
| British & Irish | 38.9% |
| Eastern European | 4.2% |
| Other | 14.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Kissinger
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 Kissinger have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
What Kissinger 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 Kissinger is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-L26 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hitchcock, Lankford, Furman, Cash, Cave, Etheridge, Ramey, Hoyle, Musick, Hudson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kissinger surname are: H1, H, T2. 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 Kissinger 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.
"Kissinger" Surname 50.0%
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.
"Kissinger" Surname 17.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kissinger" Surname 13.2%
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.
"Kissinger" Surname 26.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kissinger?
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 Kissinger are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition