Explore the Family Name Munro
The meaning of Munro
1. Scottish: nickname from Gaelic Rothach ‘man from Ro’. According to tradition which may be substantially correct, the ancestors of the Munros came from Ireland, from the foot of the river Roe in Derry, whence the name Bun-rotha, giving Mun-rotha by eclipsis of b after the preposition in’. See also Monroe, compare Munroe. 2. Irish (Meath): variant of Mulroy. History: This (see 1 above) is the name of a Scottish clan with an ancestral seat at Foulis Castle, near Evanton, Ross-shire.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Munro in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Munro has seen some fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname dropped -2.82%, from 4928 in 2000 to 5067 in 2010. However, the count of individuals with this surname increased by 5.6% during this period, from 6551 to 6918. The proportion per 100k also saw a decrease of -3.29%, moving from 2.43 in 2000 to 2.35 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,928 | #5,067 | -2.82% |
| Count | 6,551 | 6,918 | 5.6% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.43 | 2.35 | -3.29% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Munro
Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some changes among those carrying the Munro surname between 2000 and 2010. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and having the surname increased significantly by 82.35%. Those reporting their ethnicity as two or more races grew by 31.90%, and those who identified as Hispanic increased by 39.00%. There was also a modest increase of 9.16% in those identifying as Black. In contrast, there was a slight decrease in those who identified as White and American Indian and Alaskan Native by -2.06% and -8.33% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.79% | 89.9% | -2.06% |
| Black | 3.71% | 4.05% | 9.16% |
| Hispanic | 2.41% | 3.35% | 39% |
| Two or More Races | 1.16% | 1.53% | 31.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.34% | 0.62% | 82.35% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.6% | 0.55% | -8.33% |
Munro 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 Munro is British & Irish, which comprises 58.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.9%) and Eastern European (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.4% |
| French & German | 16.9% |
| Eastern European | 4.6% |
| Other | 20.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Munro
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 Munro have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 85.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
What Munro 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 Munro 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 I-PF4135 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Monroe, Evans, Morgan, Phillips, Jones, Price, Shaw, Mcdonald, Lewis, Walsh.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Munro 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 Munro 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.
"Munro" Surname 44.7%
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.
"Munro" Surname 22.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Munro" Surname 17.5%
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.
"Munro" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Munro?
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 Munro are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition