Explore the Family Name Mortimer
The meaning of Mortimer
1. English and Scottish (of Norman origin): habitational name from Mortemer in Seine-Maritime, France, so called from Old French mort(e) ‘dead’ + mer ‘sea’, probably referring to a stagnant pond or drained swamp. 2. Irish (of Norman origin): the Norman surname in sense 1 above was taken to Ireland from England in the medieval period, where it has also been adopted by bearers of the Gaelic surnames Mac Muircheartaigh and Ó Muircheartaigh, commonly Anglicized as McMurty and Mortagh. Compare McMurdo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mortimer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Mortimer has seen a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Mortimer was the 5917th most popular surname in the United States with 5358 individuals carrying it. However, by 2010, it had dropped to the 6195th spot, despite an increase in count to 5521. This indicates a -4.7% change in rank and a 3.04% growth in count, while the proportion per 100k people fell by 6.03%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,917 | #6,195 | -4.7% |
| Count | 5,358 | 5,521 | 3.04% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.99 | 1.87 | -6.03% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mortimer
Regarding ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of those with the Mortimer surname identify as White, although the percentage decreased from 89.70% in 2000 to 87.00% in 2010. During the same period, there were notable increases in other ethnic identities. The percentage of Mortimers identifying as Black increased by 23.23%, Hispanic by 48.63%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native by 31.58%. There was also a rise in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (16.00%) and those reporting two or more races (19.61%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.7% | 87% | -3.01% |
| Black | 6.63% | 8.17% | 23.23% |
| Hispanic | 1.46% | 2.17% | 48.63% |
| Two or More Races | 1.53% | 1.83% | 19.61% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.58% | 16% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.19% | 0.25% | 31.58% |
Mortimer 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 Mortimer is British & Irish, which comprises 56.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.4%) and Eastern European (5.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.5% |
| French & German | 20.4% |
| Eastern European | 5.1% |
| Other | 18.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Mortimer
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 Mortimer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
What Mortimer 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 Mortimer 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 J-M172 and R-L2, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Sager, Howe, Holliday, Slater, Gough, Luke, Lloyd, Fletcher, Phillips, Floyd.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mortimer 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 Mortimer 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.
"Mortimer" Surname 40.0%
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.
"Mortimer" Surname 28.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mortimer" Surname 21.1%
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.
"Mortimer" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mortimer?
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 Mortimer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition