Explore the Family Name Lindsay
The meaning of Lindsay
1. Scottish: habitational name from Lindsey in Lincolnshire, England. This is first found in the form Lindissi, apparently a derivative of the British name of Lincoln. To this was later added the Old English element ēg ‘island’, since the place was virtually cut off by the surrounding fenland. The surname was taken to Scotland at an early date and is the name of an important and powerful Scottish family. 2. Irish: adopted as an equivalent of various Gaelic names (see Lindsey).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lindsay in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Lindsay experienced a minor decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Lindsay ranked as the 1008th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to the 1052nd position, demonstrating a change of -4.37%. Nonetheless, the actual count of individuals bearing this name increased during the same period, from 31,744 to 33,255, marking a growth of 4.76%. The proportion per 100k people also decreased slightly, from 11.77 in 2000 to 11.27 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,008 | #1,052 | -4.37% |
| Count | 31,744 | 33,255 | 4.76% |
| Proportion per 100k | 11.77 | 11.27 | -4.25% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lindsay
Regarding ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data presents a varying distribution for the surname Lindsay between 2000 and 2010. The majority were White, with a small decline of -3.49% over the ten-year span, from 75.11% to 72.49%. Those identifying as Black made up the second largest group and saw an increase from 20.51% to 22.00%, representing a growth of 7.26%. The Hispanic representation also rose considerably by 51.90%, from 1.58% in 2000 to 2.40% in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying with two or more races grew by 14.20%, and those as Asian/Pacific Islander experienced a growth of 16.33%. The only group that saw a minor decrease was American Indian and Alaskan Native, falling from 0.55% to 0.53%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75.11% | 72.49% | -3.49% |
| Black | 20.51% | 22% | 7.26% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 2.4% | 51.9% |
| Two or More Races | 1.76% | 2.01% | 14.2% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0.57% | 16.33% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.55% | 0.53% | -3.64% |
Lindsay 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 Lindsay is British & Irish, which comprises 55.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.1%) and Scandinavian (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Nigerian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.1% |
| French & German | 20.1% |
| Scandinavian | 4.2% |
| Other | 20.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Lindsay
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 Lindsay have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.40% |
What Lindsay 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 Lindsay is I-L233, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L233 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L23, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Glover, Hilton, Terry, Gilman, Mead, Ashley, Saunders, Criswell, Lucas, Peters.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lindsay surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your 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 Lindsay 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.
"Lindsay" Surname 41.5%
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.
"Lindsay" Surname 24.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lindsay" Surname 20.2%
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.
"Lindsay" Surname 20.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lindsay?
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 Lindsay are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition