Explore the Family Name Mcnamara
The meaning of Mcnamara
Irish and Manx: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Conmara, a patronymic from Cú Mhara, a personal name composed of the elements cú ‘hound’ + muir (genitive mara) ‘sea’. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Parnell, Aidan, Conor, Dermot, Brigid, Conan, James Patrick, Liam, Michael Patrick, Nuala, Ronan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mcnamara in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname McNamara has seen slight fluctuations over the last decade. In the year 2000, McNamara held the rank of 1,245 among all surnames in the United States, with a count of 25,896 individuals carrying it. By the 2010 census, the surname had slipped to the 1,329th position, despite the number of people bearing it increasing slightly to 26,534. This reflects a change of -6.75% in ranking, but a 2.46% growth in the total count of individuals.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,245 | #1,329 | -6.75% |
| Count | 25,896 | 26,534 | 2.46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.6 | 9 | -6.25% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mcnamara
Mirroring these changes, the ethnic identity associated with the surname McNamara has also evolved. The Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with this surname identify as White, making up 96.65% in 2000 and 95.17% in 2010. However, there's been an increase in those identifying as Hispanic (from 1.24% to 2.22%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.42% to 0.70%). Individuals identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw minor increases, while the proportion of those identifying with two or more races rose from 1.08% to 1.22%. These figures represent a dynamic shift in the ethnicity associated with the McNamara surname over time.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.65% | 95.17% | -1.53% |
| Hispanic | 1.24% | 2.22% | 79.03% |
| Two or More Races | 1.08% | 1.22% | 12.96% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.7% | 66.67% |
| Black | 0.38% | 0.4% | 5.26% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.23% | 0.28% | 21.74% |
Mcnamara 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 Mcnamara is British & Irish, which comprises 61.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (13.9%) and Eastern European (7.1%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 61.7% |
| French & German | 13.9% |
| Eastern European | 7.1% |
| Other | 17.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Mcnamara
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 Mcnamara have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
What Mcnamara 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 Mcnamara is R-Y4010, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y4010 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-S660, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mulholland, Coyne, Maloney, Mangum, Walling, Graber, Clancy, Southern, Adair, Mangan.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mcnamara 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 Mcnamara 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.
"Mcnamara" Surname 37.7%
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.
"Mcnamara" Surname 26.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mcnamara" Surname 21.3%
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.
"Mcnamara" Surname 16.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mcnamara?
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 Mcnamara are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition