Explore the Family Name North
The meaning of North
1. English: topographic name from Middle English north ‘north’, denoting someone who had migrated from the north, especially someone from northern England living in the south of the country. It may also have been used to denote someone living in the northern part of a settlement or region. 2. Irish: in Ireland, adopted for Mac an Ultaigh ‘son of the Ulsterman’, Ulster being the northern part of Ireland. 3. German: from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name composed with a cognate of Old High German nord ‘north’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name North in the United States?
The surname North has seen some shifts in popularity based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it held the rank of 1623 among all surnames but slipped to 1766 by 2010, a decrease of approximately 8.81%. Despite this drop in rank, the count of people bearing the surname North actually increased slightly from 20,238 in 2000 to 20,343 in 2010, marking a growth rate of 0.52%. However, when considering the proportion of North surname bearers per 100,000 people, there was a decline from 7.5 in 2000 to 6.9 in 2010, reflecting an 8% drop.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,623 | #1,766 | -8.81% |
| Count | 20,238 | 20,343 | 0.52% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.5 | 6.9 | -8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name North
When examining the ethnic identity of individuals with the surname North, again using data from the Decennial U.S. Census, there are a few notable changes over the decade. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 24.07%, and those reporting two or more races increased by 25.17%. The majority of North surname holders identify as White, although this percentage dropped slightly from 86.69% in 2000 to 85.18% in 2010. The Hispanic community saw a significant rise of 53.74%, while the proportion of Black individuals rose modestly by 2.84%. On the other hand, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 6.06%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.69% | 85.18% | -1.74% |
| Black | 9.17% | 9.43% | 2.84% |
| Hispanic | 1.47% | 2.26% | 53.74% |
| Two or More Races | 1.47% | 1.84% | 25.17% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.67% | 24.07% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.66% | 0.62% | -6.06% |
North 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 North is British & Irish, which comprises 52.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.0%) and Scandinavian (4.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.6% |
| French & German | 23.0% |
| Scandinavian | 4.9% |
| Other | 19.5% |
Possible origins of the surname North
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 North have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
What North 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 North is R-L48, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L48 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Blackwell, Archer, George, Harrison, Cummings, Long, West, Wheatley, Andrews, Wilson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with North surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your 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 North 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.
"North" Surname 38.9%
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.
"North" Surname 33.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"North" Surname 21.3%
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.
"North" Surname 21.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name North?
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 North are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition