Explore the Family Name Moon
The meaning of Moon
1. Irish: variant of Mohan. 2. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Moyon in La Manche. Compare Mounce. 3. Americanized form of German Mohn or of some other similar (like-sounding) surname. 4. Korean: variant of Mun 1. 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 文 (see Wen 2), 萬 (see Wan 1), and 滿 (see Man 1). 6. Chinese: possibly from a Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese name 滿 (meaning ‘full, complete’), a monosyllabic personal name, or part of a disyllabic personal name of some early Chinese immigrants in the US. History: William de Moion was created Earl of Somerset in 1141. He was apparently an early bearer of the English surname Moon (see 2 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Moon in the United States?
The surname "Moon" experienced a slight fluctuation in its popularity based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it was ranked as the 748th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had moved to the 758th position, denoting a decrease of approximately 1.34 percent. However, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname increased from 42,062 in 2000 to 45,528 in 2010, marking an 8.24 percent growth. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people slightly decreased by 1.03 percent during the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #748 | #758 | -1.34% |
| Count | 42,062 | 45,528 | 8.24% |
| Proportion per 100k | 15.59 | 15.43 | -1.03% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Moon
As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Moon", the Decennial U.S. Census data shows interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased substantially from 14.85 to 19.10, a change of 28.62 percent. There was also a rise among those identifying as having two or more races and those of Hispanic ethnicity, with changes of 15.34 and 34.67 percent respectively. Conversely, there were declines in the percentage of individuals identifying as White, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native. The White demographic saw a decrease of 6.73 percent, while the Black demographic dropped by 2.53 percent and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category fell by 5.71 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 70.43% | 65.69% | -6.73% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 14.85% | 19.1% | 28.62% |
| Black | 10.28% | 10.02% | -2.53% |
| Two or More Races | 1.89% | 2.18% | 15.34% |
| Hispanic | 1.5% | 2.02% | 34.67% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.05% | 0.99% | -5.71% |
Moon 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 Moon is British & Irish, which comprises 45.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.3%) and Korean (13.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 45.5% |
| French & German | 20.3% |
| Korean | 13.7% |
| Other | 20.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Moon
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 Moon have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 74.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 73.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 73.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 73.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 73.60% |
What Moon 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 Moon 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 J-L26, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Prince, Gee, Maxwell, Massey, Cameron, Mccarthy, Conley, Sherman, Fitzpatrick, Kendrick.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Moon 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 Moon 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.
"Moon" Surname 43.8%
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.
"Moon" Surname 25.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Moon" 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.
"Moon" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Moon?
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 Moon are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition