Explore the Family Name Pauley

The meaning of Pauley

1. English: perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English personal name Pauly, or a pet form of Paul. 2. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Pavilly (Seine‐Maritime, France). 3. English: shortened form of Paulin, from the Middle English and Old French personal name Paulin (from Latin Paulinus, a diminutive of Paulus, see Paul). 4. German: variant or a derivative of Paul. Compare Poley.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Pauley in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Pauley saw a slight dip in its national popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 3124 out of all surnames in the United States, but by 2010, it had fallen to rank 3317, representing a decrease of 6.18%. However, the total count of individuals bearing the name increased slightly from 10,610 in 2000 to 10,809 in 2010, an increase of 1.88%. This suggests that while the name became less common relative to other names, the actual number of people named Pauley grew.

20002010Change
Rank#3,124#3,317-6.18%
Count10,61010,8091.88%
Proportion per 100k3.933.66-6.87%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pauley

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Pauley also experienced some changes over the same decade according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased slightly from 93.57% in 2000 to 92.45% in 2010. Conversely, the proportion of those identifying as Hispanic saw the most significant increase, growing from 1.38% in 2000 to 2.20% in 2010, a rise of 59.42%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and of two or more races also saw increases, while the proportions identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native both saw marginal decreases.

20002010Change
White93.57%92.45%-1.2%
Black3.16%3.1%-1.9%
Hispanic1.38%2.2%59.42%
Two or More Races0.99%1.33%34.34%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.48%0.47%-2.08%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.42%0.44%4.76%

Pauley 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 Pauley is British & Irish, which comprises 53.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.6%) and Eastern European (5.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish53.1%
French & German28.6%
Eastern European5.1%
Other13.2%
Pauley

Possible origins of the surname Pauley

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 Pauley have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom88.80%
West Midlands, United Kingdom88.80%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom88.80%
Greater London, United Kingdom88.80%
Merseyside, United Kingdom88.30%

What Pauley 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 Pauley is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Peckham, Gaskill, Thacker, Calkins, Fairchild, Larue, Abernathy, Brundage, Elam, Couture.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Pauley surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

pauleyPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Pauley 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

Pauley

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Pauley" Surname 36.1%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Pauley

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Pauley" Surname 35.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Pauley

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Pauley" Surname 29.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Pauley

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Pauley" Surname 20.2%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Pauley?

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 Pauley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%