Explore the Family Name Michaelson
The meaning of Michaelson
1. English: patronymic from the personal name Michael + -son. Compare Mitchelson. 2. Americanized form of Danish, Norwegian, and North German Michaelsen and of some of its Scandinavian and North German cognates, e.g. Swedish Mikaelsson and Danish and Norwegian Mikkelsen. Compare Michelson.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Michaelson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Michaelson has seen some minor fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In terms of ranking, the name slipped from 8080 in 2000 to 8380 in 2010, a decrease in popularity of 3.71%. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals bearing this surname increased over this decade. There were 3,779 people with the last name Michaelson in 2000, and this number rose to 3,950 by 2010, an increase of 4.53%. The proportion per 100k people also fell slightly, from 1.4 to 1.34, a decrease of 4.29%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,080 | #8,380 | -3.71% |
| Count | 3,779 | 3,950 | 4.53% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.4 | 1.34 | -4.29% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Michaelson
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those of Asian/Pacific Islander heritage increased from 0.69% to 0.84%, and those identifying as two or more races grew from 1.11% to 1.47%. The majority of Michaelsons identified as White, but this percentage saw a slight decrease from 95.58% to 94.00%. The Hispanic population with this surname grew from 1.56% to 2.30%, an increase of 47.44%. The Black population experienced a small growth from 0.50% to 0.53%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native population saw a more significant increase, from 0.56% to 0.86%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.58% | 94% | -1.65% |
| Hispanic | 1.56% | 2.3% | 47.44% |
| Two or More Races | 1.11% | 1.47% | 32.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.56% | 0.86% | 53.57% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.69% | 0.84% | 21.74% |
| Black | 0.5% | 0.53% | 6% |
Michaelson 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 Michaelson is British & Irish, which comprises 25.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Ashkenazi Jewish (21.7%) and French & German (17.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Finnish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 25.9% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 21.7% |
| French & German | 17.6% |
| Other | 34.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Michaelson
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 Michaelson have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 63.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 63.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 63.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 63.00% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 63.00% |
What Michaelson 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 Michaelson is R-Z282, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z282 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nelsen, Cochrane, Kranz, Christenson, Bergstrom, Bartels, Severson, Samuelson, Johns, Monson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Michaelson surname are: K1a1b1a, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Michaelson 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.
"Michaelson" Surname 31.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Acrophobia
An intense fear of heights that goes beyond the concern many people feel around significant heights.
"Michaelson" Surname 28.6%
23andMe Users 16.7%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Michaelson" Surname 19.5%
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.
"Michaelson" Surname 19.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Michaelson?
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 Michaelson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition