Explore the Family Name Musselman
The meaning of Musselman
Americanized form of South German Musselmann: 1. probably an occupational name for a woodman, from Middle High German müsel ‘log’ + man ‘man’. 2. altered form of Swiss German Mosimann. History: This (see 2 above) is the name of a Swiss Mennonite family, originally spelled Mosimann, but in Germany altered to Musselmann and Mosemann before being brought to North America. Jacob and Samuel Musselmann, whose ancestors were from Lauperswil in Bern Canton, Switzerland, came to North America from Zuzenhausen in southern Germany in the first half of the 18th century and settled in Bucks County, PA. Christian Musselmann (1665–1734), also a Mennonite, came to Lancaster County, PA, in the early 18th century, already. There were also other Mennonite immigrants bearing the name Musselmann or Mosemann.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Musselman in the United States?
The surname Musselman, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, decreased in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5047th most popular surname, but by 2010, it dropped to the 5516th position, indicating a decrease of 9.29%. The total count of individuals with this surname also slightly decreased from 6,375 in 2000 to 6,306 in 2010, marking a drop of 1.08%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals named Musselman per 100,000 people also fell by 9.32% during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,047 | #5,516 | -9.29% |
| Count | 6,375 | 6,306 | -1.08% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.36 | 2.14 | -9.32% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Musselman
Examining the ethnic identity associated with the Musselman surname using the Decennial U.S. Census data shows interesting changes over the decade. In 2000, a substantial majority (97%) identified as White, followed by Hispanic (1.58%), those of two or more races (0.82%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.35%), Black (0.16%), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.09%). By 2010, however, while the majority still identified as White (95.94%), the proportions of all other ethnicities increased. The Hispanic population saw an increase of 32.28%, followed by the Black population (68.75% increase), those of two or more races (28.05% increase), Asian/Pacific Islander (48.57% increase), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (44.44% increase). This suggests growing diversity among individuals with the Musselman surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97% | 95.94% | -1.09% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 2.09% | 32.28% |
| Two or More Races | 0.82% | 1.05% | 28.05% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.52% | 48.57% |
| Black | 0.16% | 0.27% | 68.75% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.09% | 0.13% | 44.44% |
Musselman 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 Musselman is French & German, which comprises 42.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (40.1%) and Eastern European (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 42.0% |
| British & Irish | 40.1% |
| Eastern European | 4.7% |
| Other | 13.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Musselman
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 Musselman have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
What Musselman 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 Musselman is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-L460 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Boynton, Breedlove, Binkley, Kistler, Bonham, Agee, Castleberry, Shirk, Prewitt, Follett.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Musselman 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 Musselman 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.
"Musselman" Surname 43.3%
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.
"Musselman" Surname 24.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Musselman" Surname 31.9%
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.
"Musselman" Surname 20.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Musselman?
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 Musselman are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition