Explore the Family Name Ponder
The meaning of Ponder
English (East Anglia): variant of Pounder 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ponder in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Ponder saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Ponder was ranked as the 2854th most common surname in the U.S., with a total of 11,550 individuals carrying this name, representing 4.28 per 100,000 people. By 2010, the surname had dropped to the 3044th rank, even though the count of individuals with this surname marginally increased to 11,764, making up 3.99 out of every 100,000 people. This represents a decrease of 6.66% in rank and 6.78% in proportion per 100,000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,854 | #3,044 | -6.66% |
| Count | 11,550 | 11,764 | 1.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.28 | 3.99 | -6.78% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ponder
Turning to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Ponder, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there have been some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The highest proportion of individuals identifying themselves as White decreased slightly from 68.44% to 66.66%. In contrast, those identifying as Hispanic saw the largest increase, from 1.23% to 2.11%, a change of 71.54%. The number of those identifying as Black also saw a small increase, rising from 27.91% to 28.12%. There was notable growth among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those claiming two or more races, increasing by 41.67% and 35.71% respectively. The proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Natives remained constant at 0.51%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.44% | 66.66% | -2.6% |
| Black | 27.91% | 28.12% | 0.75% |
| Hispanic | 1.23% | 2.11% | 71.54% |
| Two or More Races | 1.54% | 2.09% | 35.71% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.36% | 0.51% | 41.67% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.51% | 0.51% | 0% |
Ponder 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 Ponder is British & Irish, which comprises 64.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.0%) and Nigerian (3.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, and Angolan & Congolese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 64.1% |
| French & German | 18.0% |
| Nigerian | 3.1% |
| Other | 14.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Ponder
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 Ponder have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
What Ponder 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 Ponder is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L51 and E-M4254, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Gagnon, Shinn, Fortin, Lapointe, Meador, Hardison, Durkin, Boudreaux, Landry, Levesque.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ponder 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 Ponder 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.
"Ponder" Surname 35.4%
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.
"Ponder" Surname 27.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ponder" Surname 29.2%
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.
"Ponder" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ponder?
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 Ponder are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition