Explore the Family Name Munson
The meaning of Munson
1. English (mainly Essex): patronymic from the personal name Mund, meaning ‘son of Mund’. See also Munn. 2. Americanized form of Norwegian and Danish Monsen. Compare Munsen. 3. Altered form of Monson 1, a surname of Swedish origin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Munson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Munson has seen some fluctuation over the years. In 2000, Munson was ranked 1902 in terms of commonality and this rank fell slightly to 2030 by 2010, representing a drop of 6.73%. However, the actual count of individuals with the surname increased from 17,345 to 17,745, marking an increase of 2.31%. The proportion of people with the Munson name per 100,000 also decreased slightly from 6.43 in 2000 to 6.02 in 2010, indicating a decrease in popularity of 6.38%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,902 | #2,030 | -6.73% |
| Count | 17,345 | 17,745 | 2.31% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.43 | 6.02 | -6.38% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Munson
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some changes for those carrying the Munson surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Munsons identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, having two or more ethnic identities, Hispanic, and Black increased during this decade. The number of Asian/Pacific Islander Munsons rose by 15.38%, while those with two or more ethnic identities increased by 26.85%. The percentage of Hispanic Munsons saw the most significant increase of 63.70%, and the Black population grew by 5.82%. However, the proportion of White Munsons and American Indian/Alaskan Native Munsons decreased by 1.87% and 20.48% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.91% | 87.25% | -1.87% |
| Black | 6.53% | 6.91% | 5.82% |
| Hispanic | 1.46% | 2.39% | 63.7% |
| Two or More Races | 1.49% | 1.89% | 26.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.78% | 0.9% | 15.38% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.83% | 0.66% | -20.48% |
Munson 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 Munson is British & Irish, which comprises 44.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.6%) and Scandinavian (12.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 44.1% |
| French & German | 26.6% |
| Scandinavian | 12.9% |
| Other | 16.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Munson
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 Munson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
What Munson 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 Munson is R-S14328, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S14328 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and R-CTS4528, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ruff, Travis, Choate, Sauls, Meeks, Rigby, Hylton, Baker, Mathews, Wilkinson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Munson 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 Munson 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.
"Munson" Surname 47.3%
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.
"Munson" Surname 25.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Munson" Surname 18.6%
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.
"Munson" Surname 14.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Munson?
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 Munson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition