Explore the Family Name London
The meaning of London
English and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name for someone who came from London or a nickname for someone who had made a trip to London or had some other connection with the city. In some cases however, the Jewish name was purely artificial. The placename, recorded by the Roman historian Tacitus in the Latinized form Londinium, is obscure in origin and meaning, but may be derived from pre-Celtic (Old European) roots with a meaning something like ‘place at the navigable or unfordable river’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name London in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "London" has slightly decreased in terms of rank between 2000 and 2010, moving from 2,185 to 2,249, a change of -2.93%. However, the count of people with this surname has increased by approximately 6.09%, rising from 15,265 to 16,195 during the same period. This indicates that while the ranking might have dropped, the actual number of people named London grew. The proportion per 100K also saw a slight dip, from 5.66 to 5.49, a decrease of about -3.0%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,185 | #2,249 | -2.93% |
| Count | 15,265 | 16,195 | 6.09% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.66 | 5.49 | -3% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name London
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "London" has seen some shifts over the decade from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. While those identifying as White held the majority, their percentage dropped from 59.88% to 55.94%, a change of -6.58%. On the other hand, the percentage of Black individuals with the surname "London" saw an increase of 7.80%, making up 37.88% in 2010 up from 35.14% in 2000. Additionally, there was a notable increase in the Hispanic demographic, which rose from 2.08% to 2.78%, and those who identify as two or more races went from 1.77% to 2.25%. There was a slight increase for Asian/Pacific Islanders, from 0.48% to 0.58%. Conversely, the American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw a decrease from 0.66% to 0.57%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 59.88% | 55.94% | -6.58% |
| Black | 35.14% | 37.88% | 7.8% |
| Hispanic | 2.08% | 2.78% | 33.65% |
| Two or More Races | 1.77% | 2.25% | 27.12% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.48% | 0.58% | 20.83% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.66% | 0.57% | -13.64% |
London 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 London is British & Irish, which comprises 33.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Ashkenazi Jewish (27.2%) and French & German (16.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 33.0% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 27.2% |
| French & German | 16.4% |
| Other | 23.4% |
Possible origins of the surname London
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 London have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 61.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 61.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 61.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 61.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 60.60% |
What London 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 London is R-S24902, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S24902 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-M417 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Doe, David, Fisher, Frank, Taylor, Green, Cooper, Klein, Smith, Paul.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with London surname are: H1, J1c, 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 London 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.
"London" Surname 42.2%
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.
"London" Surname 32.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"London" Surname 12.0%
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.
"London" Surname 17.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name London?
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 London are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition