Explore the Family Name Marchant
The meaning of Marchant
1. English (southern): occupational name from Middle English marchaunt ‘merchant, trader, shopkeeper’ (Old French marchand, marchëant). 2. Altered form of French Marchand, a cognate of 1 above. History: John Marchant (c.1600–c.1668) was in Newport, RI, before 1638. In that year he moved to Braintree, MA, then to Watertown, MA (1642), and finally to Yarmouth, MA (1648). His descendants included many sea captains and other prominent people.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Marchant in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Marchant has seen an increase in its popularity from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, the surname ranked 5968 in terms of popularity, with approximately 5311 individuals bearing the name. However, by 2010, the rank of the surname increased slightly to 5909, with a count of about 5834 individuals, demonstrating a growth rate of 9.85%. This indicates that the proportion per 100k also saw a modest rise of 0.51% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,968 | #5,909 | 0.99% |
| Count | 5,311 | 5,834 | 9.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.97 | 1.98 | 0.51% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Marchant
With regards to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts among those bearing the Marchant surname between 2000 and 2010. A large majority of Marchants identified as White in both years, although there was a slight decrease from 92.49% in 2000 to 89.70% in 2010. Meanwhile, the number of Marchants identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase, rising from 3.84% in 2000 to 5.66% in 2010. Smaller increases were also observed among Marchants of Asian/Pacific Islander, two or more races, and Black descent. The only decline occurred among Marchants of American Indian and Alaskan Native descent, falling from 0.60% to 0.50% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.49% | 89.7% | -3.02% |
| Hispanic | 3.84% | 5.66% | 47.4% |
| Two or More Races | 1.22% | 1.78% | 45.9% |
| Black | 1.13% | 1.59% | 40.71% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.72% | 0.77% | 6.94% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.6% | 0.5% | -16.67% |
Marchant 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 Marchant is British & Irish, which comprises 53.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.5%) and Scandinavian (4.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.0% |
| French & German | 22.5% |
| Scandinavian | 4.9% |
| Other | 19.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Marchant
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 Marchant have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.80% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 81.30% |
What Marchant 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 Marchant is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S5741 and R-Z7, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Byrd, Eggers, Anders, Ernst, Childs, Crooks, Wright, Pereira, Wade, Baker.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Marchant surname are: H1, J1c, H. 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 Marchant 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.
"Marchant" Surname 37.3%
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.
"Marchant" Surname 30.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Marchant" Surname 26.4%
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.
"Marchant" Surname 20.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Marchant?
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 Marchant are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition