Explore the Family Name Phelps
The meaning of Phelps
Scottish and English (southwestern): variant of Phillips. History: The brothers George and William Phelps emigrated from Gloucestershire, England, to Dorchester, MA, c.1630. Five years later they moved to Windsor, CT. George’s sixth-generation descendant, Anson Greene Phelps (1781–1853), rose from being a penniless orphan to the status of a major industrialist and a prominent CT philanthropist.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Phelps in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Phelps has seen a slight shift in popularity over a decade. In 2000, Phelps held the rank of 598th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had slipped to the 657th position, marking a decrease of 9.87%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased slightly from 51,154 in 2000 to 52,044 in 2010, showing a growth rate of 1.74%. The proportion of people named Phelps per 100,000 also decreased by 6.96% from 18.96 in 2000 to 17.64 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #598 | #657 | -9.87% |
| Count | 51,154 | 52,044 | 1.74% |
| Proportion per 100k | 18.96 | 17.64 | -6.96% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Phelps
Talking about ethnicity based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of people with the Phelps surname identified as White, although there was a slight decrease from 86.82% in 2000 to 85.10% in 2010. The second largest group, those identifying as Black, saw an increase from 9.28% in 2000 to 9.68% in 2010. There was also notable growth among those identifying as Hispanic, increasing by 57.93% from 1.45% in 2000 to 2.29% in 2010. Other groups also witnessed changes; those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races grew by 20.93% and 27.27% respectively, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category experienced a smaller increase of 3.45%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.82% | 85.1% | -1.98% |
| Black | 9.28% | 9.68% | 4.31% |
| Hispanic | 1.45% | 2.29% | 57.93% |
| Two or More Races | 1.43% | 1.82% | 27.27% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.58% | 0.6% | 3.45% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.52% | 20.93% |
Phelps 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 Phelps is British & Irish, which comprises 54.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.0%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.3% |
| French & German | 25.0% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 16.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Phelps
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 Phelps have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
What Phelps 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 Phelps is R-Z255, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z255 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-DF101 and R-DF102, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Watts, Holland, Wilson, Mack, Burns, Smith, White, Gray, Young, George.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Phelps 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 Phelps 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.
"Phelps" Surname 43.0%
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.
"Phelps" Surname 28.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Phelps" Surname 24.4%
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.
"Phelps" Surname 20.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Phelps?
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 Phelps are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition