Explore the Family Name Leavitt
The meaning of Leavitt
English: 1. (of Norman origin): nickname from Anglo-Norman French leuet ‘wolf cub’ (see Low 3). 2. habitational name from any of various places in Normandy called Livet. All are of obscure, presumably Gaulish, etymology. 3. from the Middle English personal name Leviet, Luviet, Levet, Lewet, Livet, Luvet. This can be a male name from Old English Lēofgēat (from lēof ‘dear, beloved’ + the tribal name Gēat) or a female name from Old English Lēofgȳth (where the second element is a form of gūth ‘battle’). History: Early American Leavitts include John Leavitt, who was born 1608 in England and married in Hingham, MA, in 1637. His descendants spread to NH.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Leavitt in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Leavitt" has seen a slight decrease in rank from 2702 in 2000 to 2743 in 2010, which corresponds to a change of -1.52%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased from 12,223 in 2000 to 13,133 in 2010, an increase of 7.44%. The proportion per 100k people decreased by 1.77% during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,702 | #2,743 | -1.52% |
| Count | 12,223 | 13,133 | 7.44% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.53 | 4.45 | -1.77% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Leavitt
The census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the Leavitt surname. The majority of those bearing the Leavitt surname identify as White, making up 93.53% of the group in 2010, down slightly from 94.81% in 2000. There has been a notable increase among those identifying as Hispanic, from 1.80% in 2000 to 2.63% in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black have also seen increases in their proportions, whereas the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable. This information is derived from the Decennial U.S. Census data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.81% | 93.53% | -1.35% |
| Hispanic | 1.8% | 2.63% | 46.11% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.5% | 1.48% | -1.33% |
| Two or More Races | 1.14% | 1.46% | 28.07% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.48% | 0.57% | 18.75% |
| Black | 0.27% | 0.34% | 25.93% |
Leavitt 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 Leavitt is British & Irish, which comprises 50.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.0%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (9.3%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.3% |
| French & German | 22.0% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 9.3% |
| Other | 18.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Leavitt
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 Leavitt have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
What Leavitt 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 Leavitt is R-M417, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M417 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. 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: Duffield, Michalski, Kowal, Bornstein, Rummel, Levitt, Glazer, Hailey, Gurney, Koval.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Leavitt surname are: H1, H3, H. 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 Leavitt 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.
"Leavitt" Surname 41.3%
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.
"Leavitt" Surname 27.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Leavitt" Surname 17.8%
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.
"Leavitt" Surname 20.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Leavitt?
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 Leavitt are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition