Explore the Family Name Marsden
The meaning of Marsden
English: habitational name from any of the places in Lancashire and Yorkshire, so named from Old English mercels ‘boundary’ (see Mark 2) + denu ‘valley’ (see Dean 1), i.e. a valley forming a natural boundary.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Marsden in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Marsden decreased slightly in rank from 6886 in 2000 to 7096 in 2010, a change of -3.05%. However, the actual count of people with this surname increased by 4.87% from 4499 to 4718 during the same period. The proportion of people with the Marsden surname per 100k also saw a decrease of -4.19%, going down from 1.67 in 2000 to 1.6 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,886 | #7,096 | -3.05% |
| Count | 4,499 | 4,718 | 4.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.67 | 1.6 | -4.19% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Marsden
Looking at ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census shows that people with the Marsden surname predominantly identify as White, though there was a slight decrease from 92.87% in 2000 to 91.08% in 2010. There were increases among other ethnicities: Asian/Pacific Islander rose by 20.69% from 0.58% to 0.70%, those identifying with two or more races increased by 12.42% from 1.53% to 1.72%, and Black increased by 31.62% from 2.53% to 3.33%. The Hispanic community also saw a substantial increase of 65.83%, going up from 1.20% in 2000 to 1.99% in 2010. The only decline was seen in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category, which decreased by -7.75%, from 1.29% in 2000 to 1.19% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.87% | 91.08% | -1.93% |
| Black | 2.53% | 3.33% | 31.62% |
| Hispanic | 1.2% | 1.99% | 65.83% |
| Two or More Races | 1.53% | 1.72% | 12.42% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.29% | 1.19% | -7.75% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.58% | 0.7% | 20.69% |
Marsden 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 Marsden is British & Irish, which comprises 66.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.1%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 66.7% |
| French & German | 16.1% |
| Scandinavian | 4.4% |
| Other | 12.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Marsden
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 Marsden have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| South Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 94.80% |
| County Durham, United Kingdom | 93.80% |
| Belfast, United Kingdom | 93.80% |
| Kent, United Kingdom | 92.70% |
| Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
What Marsden 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 Marsden is R-CTS4179, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS4179 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-Z30 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Squires, Beard, Friend, Hartwig, Gunderson, George, Stone, Brinkman, Gale, Newton.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Marsden surname are: H1, U2_3_4_7_8_9, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Marsden 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.
"Marsden" Surname 41.3%
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.
"Marsden" Surname 13.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Marsden" Surname 23.5%
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.
"Marsden" Surname 21.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Marsden?
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 Marsden are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition