Explore the Family Name Middleton
The meaning of Middleton
English: habitational name from any of the places so called. In over thirty instances from many different areas, the name is from Old English midel ‘middle’ + tūn ‘enclosure, settlement’. However, Middleton on the Hill near Leominster in Herefordshire appears in Domesday Book as Miceltune, the first element clearly being Old English micel ‘large’, ‘great’ (see Middlebrook). Middleton Baggot and Middleton Priors in Shropshire have early spellings that suggest gem̄thhyll (from gem̄th ‘confluence’ + hyll ‘hill’) + tūn as the origin. This surname is also found in Scotland and Ireland. In the US, it is also established among African Americans. History: A Scottish family of this name derives it from lands at Middleto(u)n near Kincardine. The Scottish physician Peter Middleton practiced in New York City after 1752 and was one of the founders of the medical school at King’s College (now Columbia University) in 1767. One of the earliest of the Charleston, SC, Middleton family of prominent legislators was Arthur Middleton, born in Charleston in 1681. The name has also been established in Ireland since at least the 13th century; its presence was reinforced by settlers in the 17th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Middleton in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Middleton has seen a shift in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 771st and held a count of 40,708; however, by 2010, it had slipped to the 813th position, even though the actual count increased to 42,578. The proportion per 100,000 also decreased by 4.37 percent during this period, from 15.09 in 2000 to 14.43 in 2010, which indicates that while the number of people with the Middleton surname increased, its overall prevalence declined relative to the total population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #771 | #813 | -5.45% |
| Count | 40,708 | 42,578 | 4.59% |
| Proportion per 100k | 15.09 | 14.43 | -4.37% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Middleton
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the Middleton surname, there was a notable diversity based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (69.30 percent), followed by Black (27.04 percent). By 2010, while these two groups still made up the majority, their percentages had slightly shifted to 66.71 percent and 28.16 percent respectively. During this decade, the representation of Hispanic Middletons saw the most significant increase, jumping by 64.84 percent from 1.28 percent to 2.11 percent. Meanwhile, individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander descent and those identifying with two or more races also saw increases by 47.06 percent and 30.38 percent, respectively. The percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable, showing a minimal increase of 2.22 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 69.3% | 66.71% | -3.74% |
| Black | 27.04% | 28.16% | 4.14% |
| Hispanic | 1.28% | 2.11% | 64.84% |
| Two or More Races | 1.58% | 2.06% | 30.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.34% | 0.5% | 47.06% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.45% | 0.46% | 2.22% |
Middleton 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 Middleton is British & Irish, which comprises 55.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.7%) and Scandinavian (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Eastern European, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.2% |
| French & German | 20.7% |
| Scandinavian | 3.9% |
| Other | 20.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Middleton
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 Middleton have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
What Middleton 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 Middleton is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-Z159, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Cameron, Logan, Pritchard, Hughes, Morgan, Lloyd, Davies, Hopkins, Jones, Sherman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Middleton 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 Middleton 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.
"Middleton" Surname 41.9%
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.
"Middleton" Surname 29.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Middleton" Surname 22.4%
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.
"Middleton" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Middleton?
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 Middleton are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition