Explore the Family Name Markham
The meaning of Markham
1. English: habitational name from Markham Clinton or East Markham (Nottinghamshire). The placename derives from Old English mearc ‘mark, boundary’ + hām ‘village, homestead’ or hamm ‘water meadow’. 2. Irish: English surname used as an equivalent of Gaelic Ó Marcacháin ‘descendant of Marcachán’, a diminutive of Marcach ‘horseman, rider’ (see Markey). This was originally a Galway surname but is now found mainly in Clare, sometimes translated into English as Ryder.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Markham in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Markham has experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. Although there was a small increase in the total count from 12,763 to 13,137, its rank slid from 2,600 to 2,741, indicating a drop of approximately 5.42%. Furthermore, the proportion of individuals with the Markham surname per 100,000 people also decreased by 5.92% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,600 | #2,741 | -5.42% |
| Count | 12,763 | 13,137 | 2.93% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.73 | 4.45 | -5.92% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Markham
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals several shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those reporting two or more races both saw increases of around 26%. Those self-identifying as Hispanic saw the largest increase at 46.20%. There was also a modest rise of 9.41% in those identifying as Black and a smaller 7.55% increase in those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native. However, those identifying as White saw a decrease in their representation within the Markham surname holders, dropping 2.19%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.67% | 87.71% | -2.19% |
| Black | 5.74% | 6.28% | 9.41% |
| Two or More Races | 1.83% | 2.31% | 26.23% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 2.31% | 46.2% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.64% | 0.81% | 26.56% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.53% | 0.57% | 7.55% |
Markham 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 Markham is British & Irish, which comprises 55.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.3%) and Eastern European (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.2% |
| French & German | 23.3% |
| Eastern European | 5.4% |
| Other | 16.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Markham
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 Markham have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
What Markham 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 Markham is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-L1498 and R-M467, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lynn, Lacy, Edwards, Dickinson, Handley, Payne, Daniel, Linn, Morgan, Phillips.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Markham surname are: H1, T2b, 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 Markham 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.
"Markham" Surname 40.7%
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.
"Markham" Surname 20.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Markham" Surname 22.0%
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.
"Markham" Surname 19.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Markham?
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 Markham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition