Explore the Family Name Olmsted
The meaning of Olmsted
English: variant of Olmstead. History: James Olmsted was one of the founders of Hartford, CT, in 1635 (coming from Cambridge, MA, with Thomas Hooker).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Olmsted in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Olmsted fluctuated slightly between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 9,215 in terms of frequency but fell to 10,082 by 2010, indicating a decrease of approximately 9.41 percent. The total count of individuals with this surname also saw a slight decline from 3,255 to 3,197, which represents a decrease of about 1.78 percent over this period. The proportion of people named Olmsted per 100,000 also dropped from 1.21 to 1.08, marking a decrease of 10.74 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,215 | #10,082 | -9.41% |
| Count | 3,255 | 3,197 | -1.78% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.21 | 1.08 | -10.74% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Olmsted
Reviewing the ethnic identity attached to the Olmsted surname reveals several changes based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. While the majority of people with this surname identified as White in both years (96.59 percent in 2000 and 95.12 percent in 2010), there was a slight decrease of 1.52 percent over the decade. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased noticeably by 20.27 percent. However, there were significant increases in the number of people who identified with two or more races and those of Hispanic ethnicity, with increases of 69.57 and 73.50 percent respectively. Data for those identifying as Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native were suppressed for privacy reasons in both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.59% | 95.12% | -1.52% |
| Hispanic | 1.17% | 2.03% | 73.5% |
| Two or More Races | 0.92% | 1.56% | 69.57% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.74% | 0.59% | -20.27% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Olmsted 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 Olmsted is British & Irish, which comprises 48.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.7%) and Scandinavian (4.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.4% |
| French & German | 28.7% |
| Scandinavian | 4.8% |
| Other | 18.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Olmsted
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 Olmsted have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
What Olmsted 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 Olmsted is R-A874, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-A874 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Olmstead, Geer, Mclemore, Brunelle, Buckland, Seger, Reddick, Walters, Thom, Griffin.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Olmsted surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Olmsted 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.
"Olmsted" Surname 30.6%
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.
"Olmsted" Surname 21.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Olmsted" Surname 25.0%
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.
"Olmsted" Surname 28.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Olmsted?
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 Olmsted are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition