Explore the Family Name Newton
The meaning of Newton
English and Scottish: habitational name from any of the many places in England and Scotland so named, from Old English nīwe ‘new’ + tūn ‘farmstead, settlement’, or Middle English neue ‘new’ + toun ‘settlement, town’. According to Ekwall, this is the commonest English placename. For this reason, the surname has a highly fragmented origin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Newton in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Newton saw a slight dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Newton was ranked as the 400th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 443rd position, representing a 10.75% decrease in rank. However, despite this decrease in rank, the actual number of people bearing the Newton surname increased from 72,328 in 2000 to 74,092 in 2010, indicating a growth of 2.44%. The proportion of the population with the Newton surname per 100k also slightly decreased by 6.3% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #400 | #443 | -10.75% |
| Count | 72,328 | 74,092 | 2.44% |
| Proportion per 100k | 26.81 | 25.12 | -6.3% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Newton
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some changes between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Newtons identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying as two or more races both saw significant increases at 40.91% and 31.41%, respectively. Those identifying as White decreased slightly from 77.90% to 75.66%, while the percentage of Newtons identifying as Black saw a small increase from 17.74% to 18.42%. The proportion of Newtons identifying as Hispanic nearly doubled, increasing by 56.10%. Lastly, there was a minor decrease of 5.56% for those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.9% | 75.66% | -2.88% |
| Black | 17.74% | 18.42% | 3.83% |
| Hispanic | 1.64% | 2.56% | 56.1% |
| Two or More Races | 1.56% | 2.05% | 31.41% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.72% | 0.68% | -5.56% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.62% | 40.91% |
Newton 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 Newton is British & Irish, which comprises 55.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.5%) and Eastern European (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.0% |
| French & German | 20.5% |
| Eastern European | 3.8% |
| Other | 20.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Newton
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 Newton have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
What Newton 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 Newton is R-CTS4179, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS4179 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-M417, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Miller, Wilson, White, Green, Thompson, Smith, Fisher, Johnson, Brown, West.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Newton surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Newton 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.
"Newton" Surname 40.6%
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.
"Newton" Surname 29.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Newton" Surname 23.9%
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.
"Newton" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Newton?
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 Newton are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition