Explore the Family Name Mendelson

The meaning of Mendelson

Jewish (Ashkenazic): patronymic from the Yiddish personal name Mendl. See Mendel. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Haim, Ari, Emanuel, Hyman, Myer, Boruch, Leib, Mayer, Menachem, Naum, Nisson.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Mendelson experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Mendelson was ranked as the 11,610th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 12,670th position, representing a change of -9.13%. The total count of individuals with the Mendelson surname also decreased during this time period, from 2,480 in 2000 to 2,439 in 2010, a dip of -1.65%. Correspondingly, the proportion of people with the Mendelson surname per 100,000 population dropped by -9.78%, from 0.92 in 2000 to 0.83 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#11,610#12,670-9.13%
Count2,4802,439-1.65%
Proportion per 100k0.920.83-9.78%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mendelson

When it comes to ethnic identity, there were some notable shifts among those bearing the Mendelson surname between 2000 and 2010, according to Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Mendelsons identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander significantly increased from 0.40 to 0.86, a positive shift of 115.00%. There was also an increase in the Hispanic category from 2.18% to 3.03%, a growth of 38.99%. Interestingly, the number of those identifying as Black jumped from 0% to 1.31%. On the other hand, the percentage of those identifying as White decreased slightly from 96.29% to 93.89%, a change of -2.49%. The category of "Two or more races" went from 0.73% to 0. No data were reported for American Indian and Alaskan Native identities in either year.

20002010Change
White96.29%93.89%-2.49%
Hispanic2.18%3.03%38.99%
Black0%1.31%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.4%0.86%115%
Two or More Races0.73%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%

Mendelson 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 Mendelson is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 56.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (17.1%) and French & German (8.3%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Indigenous American, and Scandinavian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Ashkenazi Jewish56.3%
British & Irish17.1%
French & German8.3%
Other18.3%
Mendelson

Possible origins of the surname Mendelson

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
West Midlands, United Kingdom34.30%
Merseyside, United Kingdom34.30%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom34.30%
Greater London, United Kingdom34.30%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom34.30%

What Mendelson 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 Mendelson is G-M201, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup G-M201 is descended from haplogroup G-M201. Other common haplogroups include J-L26 and I-L596, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Marino, Grossman, Glassman, Schwartz, Press, Kaufman, Saltzman, Hartman, Weinberg, Angelo.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mendelson surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

mendelsonPaternal Haplogroup Origins G-M201
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Jewish diaspora

Outside of the Caucasus, haplogroup G is often found among various Jewish populations. About 10% of Ashkenazi men also have Y chromosomes belonging to G, an indication that the haplogroup was present among the small number of Jews who migrated into central and eastern Europe about 1,000 years ago. The Sephardic Jews of the Iberian Peninsula also bear haplogroup G at levels of about 16%. In this case, the arrival of G into the region may be tied to the expansion of seafaring Phoenicians who set up trade centers throughout the Mediterranean about 3,500 years ago.

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 Mendelson 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

Mendelson

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Mendelson" Surname 34.3%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Mendelson

Misophonia

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

"Mendelson" Surname 37.1%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Mendelson

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Mendelson" Surname 12.8%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Mendelson

Migraine

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

"Mendelson" Surname 13.2%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Mendelson?

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 Mendelson 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

Ashkenazi Jewish 57.0%

23andMe Users 57.2%