Explore the Family Name Person
The meaning of Person
1. Americanized form (and a very rare Swedish variant) of Swedish Persson or Pehrsson (see Pehrson). 2. German: patronymic from the personal name Peer, Low German variant of Peter. 3. English: variant of Parson. 4. French (mainly northeastern): from a shortened form of Perreçon, a pet form (with double diminutive suffix -eçon) of the personal name Pierre, French form of Peter. 5. Breton (also Le Person): nickname from person ‘parson, rector of a parish’. 6. Jewish (from Latvia and Belarus): either a variant of Berson, or metronymic from the Yiddish female personal name Pere, a pet form of Perl ‘pearl’ (compare Perel 2).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Person in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Person' has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 1719th in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had risen to rank 496th. This represents an impressive 71.15% change. In terms of sheer numbers, the count of individuals with the 'Person' surname also increased dramatically from 19,129 to 67,411, marking a 252.4% change. The proportion of people bearing this surname per 100,000 also increased from 7.09 to 22.85, a 222.28% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,719 | #496 | 71.15% |
| Count | 19,129 | 67,411 | 252.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.09 | 22.85 | 222.28% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Person
From an ethnic identity perspective, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some interesting shifts. Between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of persons with the 'Person' surname who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled, increasing from 1.54% to 4.14%. Those identifying as having two or more races saw a slight increase from 1.72% to 1.78%. However, those identifying as White decreased from 47.92% to 45.58%, as did those identifying as Black from 39.88% to 34.51%. The proportion of those identifying as Hispanic increased significantly, from 7.29% to 12.88%. The percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Natives decreased from 1.65% to 1.12%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 47.92% | 45.58% | -4.88% |
| Black | 39.88% | 34.51% | -13.47% |
| Hispanic | 7.29% | 12.88% | 76.68% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.54% | 4.14% | 168.83% |
| Two or More Races | 1.72% | 1.78% | 3.49% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.65% | 1.12% | -32.12% |
Person 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 Person is British & Irish, which comprises 34.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.5%) and Scandinavian (11.4%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 34.8% |
| French & German | 22.5% |
| Scandinavian | 11.4% |
| Other | 31.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Person
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 Person have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 62.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 62.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 62.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 61.20% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 60.80% |
What Person 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 Person is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Penn, Franklin, Black, Evans, Mack, Thomson, Christie, Lewis, Clarke, Jones.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Person 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 Person 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.
"Person" Surname 33.8%
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.
"Person" Surname 35.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Person" Surname 24.5%
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.
"Person" Surname 16.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Person?
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 Person are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition