Explore the Family Name Macon
The meaning of Macon
1. French: habitational name from any of several places so called, e.g. in Saône-et-Loire. 2. French: from the old oblique form of the ancient Germanic personal name Mako, a variant of Mago, a short form of compound names formed with maht ‘strength, power’ as the first element. 3. French (Maçon): occupational name for a mason, (Old) French maçon. 4. English (mainly Cambridgeshire): variant of Mason ‘mason’; compare Machen. This form of the surname is rare in Britain and Ireland. History: Gédéon or Gidéon Macon from Saône-et-Loire married Martha Woodward in New Kent County, VA, in 1680. His name is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors (in the form Gidéon Maçon/Macon) and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Macon in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Macon has seen a slight decrease in popularity ranking from 2000 to 2010, moving from rank 4893 to 5013, indicating a downward shift of 2.45%. Nevertheless, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname increased by 6.31% over the same time frame, growing from 6,592 people to 7,008. This equates to a slight decrease in proportion per 100,000 people from 2.44 to 2.38.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,893 | #5,013 | -2.45% |
| Count | 6,592 | 7,008 | 6.31% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.44 | 2.38 | -2.46% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Macon
In terms of ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates a diverse range for individuals carrying the Macon surname. The largest group identifies as Black, though the percentage slightly decreased from 61.56% in 2000 to 61.03% in 2010. The second-largest ethnic identity is White, also seeing a decline from 33.92% to 31.89%. However, several other ethnic identities saw increases. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander rose from 0.24% to 0.43%, those claiming two or more races grew from 1.99% to 3.28%, and those with Hispanic roots increased from 1.46% to 2.51%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category had a minor increase from 0.83% to 0.86%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 61.56% | 61.03% | -0.86% |
| White | 33.92% | 31.89% | -5.98% |
| Two or More Races | 1.99% | 3.28% | 64.82% |
| Hispanic | 1.46% | 2.51% | 71.92% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.83% | 0.86% | 3.61% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.24% | 0.43% | 79.17% |
Macon 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 Macon is British & Irish, which comprises 42.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.9%) and Nigerian (10.7%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Ashkenazi Jewish, Angolan & Congolese, Eastern European, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 42.2% |
| French & German | 16.9% |
| Nigerian | 10.7% |
| Other | 30.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Macon
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 Macon have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 61.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 61.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 61.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 61.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 61.20% |
What Macon 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 Macon is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Macon surname are: N, H, J1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your 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 Macon 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.
"Macon" Surname 31.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Macon" Surname 35.3%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Macon" Surname 25.0%
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.
"Macon" Surname 19.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Macon?
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 Macon are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition