Explore the Family Name Messner
The meaning of Messner
1. South German: occupational name for a sexton, churchwarden, or verger, Middle High German mesnære (Old High German mesināri, from Late Latin ma(n)sionarius, a derivative of mansio, genitive mansionis ‘house (of God), church’). The double -s- is the result of association with Messe ‘Mass’. This surname is also found in France (mainly Alsace) and Slovenia (see also 3 below). Compare Mesner. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational for a sexton in a synagogue, from southern German Messner ‘sexton’ (compare 1 above). 3. In some cases also an Americanized or Germanized form Slovenian Mežnar (see Meznarich) or Mesner, cognates of 1 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Messner in the United States?
The surname Messner showed a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it was ranked as the 6,528th most popular surname but fell to the 6,701st spot in 2010, marking a 2.65% decrease in rank. Despite this, the actual count of people with the Messner surname increased by 5.13%, from 4,793 in 2000 to 5,039 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also slightly decreased by 3.93%, from 1.78 in 2000 to 1.71 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,528 | #6,701 | -2.65% |
| Count | 4,793 | 5,039 | 5.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.78 | 1.71 | -3.93% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Messner
In terms of ethnicity, the majority of individuals with the surname Messner identified as White, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. This demographic made up 96.91% in 2000 and 96.13% in 2010. There was a notable increase in those identifying as Hispanic, from 1.11% in 2000 to 1.65% in 2010 representing a change of 48.65%. The percentage of Messners who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander also increased by 27.78%, while there was a 15.12% increase in those reporting two or more races. The American Indian and Alaskan Native demographic saw a decrease, dropping from 0.31% in 2000 to 0.26% in 2010, a change of -16.13%. The Black demographic remained relatively steady, increasing slightly from 0.27% in 2000 to 0.28% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.91% | 96.13% | -0.8% |
| Hispanic | 1.11% | 1.65% | 48.65% |
| Two or More Races | 0.86% | 0.99% | 15.12% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.69% | 27.78% |
| Black | 0.27% | 0.28% | 3.7% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.31% | 0.26% | -16.13% |
Messner 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 Messner is French & German, which comprises 47.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (26.5%) and Eastern European (7.3%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Indigenous American, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 47.0% |
| British & Irish | 26.5% |
| Eastern European | 7.3% |
| Other | 19.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Messner
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 Messner have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 72.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 72.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 72.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 72.40% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 72.40% |
What Messner 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 Messner is E-V13, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-V13 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include J-Z631 and R-Z381, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Grasso, Kempf, D'Andrea, Leone, Herzog, Martino, Bock, Uhl, Kern, Spinelli.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Messner surname are: H1, H, U5a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early Balkan migrants
Haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a migrated in large numbers from the Balkans into Europe about 4,500 years ago, triggered by the beginning of the Balkan Bronze Age. During this migration, members of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a mainly followed rivers connecting the southern Balkans to northern-central Europe. Technological leaps often cause lineages to grow dramatically in numbers and in geographic range. The development of Bronze technology may have given men in haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a a competitive advantage over other men, causing haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a to proliferate and become widespread.
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 Messner 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.
"Messner" Surname 48.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Messner" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Messner" Surname 17.0%
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.
"Messner" Surname 15.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Messner?
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 Messner are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition