Explore the Family Name Markle

The meaning of Markle

1. Scottish and English: habitational name from Markle in Lothian, Scotland, or from Much Marcle or Little Marcle in Herefordshire, England, named in Old English with mearc ‘boundary’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. 2. Americanized form of German Markel 1, Markl 1, Merkel, Merkl, or Merkle, names which are, with the exception of the first one, also found in Alsace and Lorraine in France. 3. Jewish (American): variant of Markel 2. 4. Americanized form of Slovenian Markelj (see Markel 3) or Markl 2. History: The surname Markle of French and ultimately German origin (see 2 above) is listed along with the original forms Merkle and Merkle in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Markle in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Markle has seen an increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, it held a ranking of 5871 and saw a slight climb to 5858 by 2010, which represents a change of 0.22%. The total count of individuals with this surname also increased during this period from 5401 to 5893, a growth of 9.11%. The proportion of people per 100k with the surname Markle remained consistent at 2.0.

20002010Change
Rank#5,871#5,8580.22%
Count5,4015,8939.11%
Proportion per 100k220%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Markle

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Markle. From 2000 to 2010, there was a notable growth in diversity. Although the majority remained White (decreasing from 96.26% to 93.94%), other ethnic identities saw significant increases. Black representation grew by 321.05%, while those identifying as Two or more races nearly doubled from 0.93% to 1.82%. The percentage of individuals who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic also rose by 82.86% and 49.10% respectively. However, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Natives decreased by 49.18%.

20002010Change
White96.26%93.94%-2.41%
Hispanic1.67%2.49%49.1%
Two or More Races0.93%1.82%95.7%
Black0.19%0.8%321.05%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.35%0.64%82.86%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.61%0.31%-49.18%

Markle 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 Markle is British & Irish, which comprises 46.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (30.0%) and Eastern European (7.0%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Korean.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish46.5%
French & German30.0%
Eastern European7.0%
Other16.5%
Markle

Possible origins of the surname Markle

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 Markle have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom85.00%
West Midlands, United Kingdom85.00%
Merseyside, United Kingdom85.00%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom85.00%
Greater London, United Kingdom85.00%

What Markle 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 Markle 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-U152 and I-Z138, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ashby, Sibley, Baer, Grimm, Stowe, Rand, Buhler, Crim, Sams, Nash.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Markle surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

marklePaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Markle 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

Markle

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Markle" Surname 38.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Markle

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Markle" Surname 34.4%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Markle

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Markle" Surname 19.1%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Markle

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Markle" Surname 14.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Markle?

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 Markle are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%