Explore the Family Name Mayo
The meaning of Mayo
1. English: variant of Mayhew. 2. Altered form of French Mailloux. 3. Altered form of French Maheu. 4. Spanish: nickname from mayo ‘May’, bestowed on someone born or baptized in the month of May. 5. Spanish: habitational name from any of the flows of water or lagoons so called, such as Regato del Mayo (Zamora) and Arroyo de Mayo (Seville). 6. Galician: habitational name from a Castilianized form of O Maio or Maio Grande and Maio Pequeno, placenames in A Coruña province, Galicia (Spain), of pre-Roman origin. History: A William Mayo born in Wiltshire, England, c.1684 was a surveyor who settled in VA c.1623 and helped survey the VA-NC boundary and found Richmond and Petersburg, VA. — The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, was founded by William Worrall Mayo (1819–1911), who immigrated to the US from England, in 1845, and his sons, all gifted and innovative physicians and surgeons.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mayo in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Mayo's popularity experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Mayo ranked as the 965th most popular surname, but it dropped to the 989th position in 2010, showing a -2.49% change. Despite this drop in rank, the number of individuals carrying the Mayo surname increased by 6.35%, from 33,126 in 2000 to 35,228 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also slightly decreased from 12.28 in 2000 to 11.94 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #965 | #989 | -2.49% |
| Count | 33,126 | 35,228 | 6.35% |
| Proportion per 100k | 12.28 | 11.94 | -2.77% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mayo
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the Mayo surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there were observable shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of people with the Mayo surname identifying as White decreased from 67.05% in 2000 to 63.25% in 2010. Individuals identifying as Hispanic showed a significant increase, moving from 5.87% to 9.07%. Those claiming Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity rose from 1.74% to 2.08%, while those identifying with two or more races increased from 1.91% to 2.52%. The percentage of Black individuals remained nearly constant, with a slight decrease from 22.51% to 22.18%. The proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Natives stayed the same at 0.91%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 67.05% | 63.25% | -5.67% |
| Black | 22.51% | 22.18% | -1.47% |
| Hispanic | 5.87% | 9.07% | 54.51% |
| Two or More Races | 1.91% | 2.52% | 31.94% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.74% | 2.08% | 19.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.91% | 0.91% | 0% |
Mayo 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 Mayo is British & Irish, which comprises 50.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.4%) and Spanish & Portuguese (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Nigerian, Scandinavian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.0% |
| French & German | 20.4% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 4.5% |
| Other | 25.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Mayo
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 Mayo have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.40% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 78.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.00% |
What Mayo 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 Mayo is R-Z8, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z8 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-DF19, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Benjamin, Farr, Bassett, Bishop, Haines, Shepherd, Call, Sherwood, Sears, Wilkerson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mayo surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
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 Mayo 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.
"Mayo" Surname 40.4%
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.
"Mayo" Surname 30.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mayo" Surname 23.7%
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.
"Mayo" Surname 19.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mayo?
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 Mayo are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition