Explore the Family Name Ralston

The meaning of Ralston

Scottish: habitational name from Ralston (Renfrewshire), composed of the personal name Raoul, a vernacular form of Ralph, + Scots toun ‘farm, village’.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Ralston has witnessed a slight decline in the past decade. In 2000, it held rank 2743 and by 2010, it slipped to rank 2914, marking a 6.23% decrease. However, the count of people with this surname increased from 12,076 in 2000 to 12,302 in 2010, which is a 1.87% increase. The proportion per 100k also experienced a dip by 6.92%.

20002010Change
Rank#2,743#2,914-6.23%
Count12,07612,3021.87%
Proportion per 100k4.484.17-6.92%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ralston

The ethnic identity distribution associated with the surname Ralston, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data, shows significant shifts over the years. The percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased by 2.27%, from 92.70% in 2000 to 90.60% in 2010. Conversely, those identifying as Hispanic showed a notable upsurge of 53.01%, increasing from 1.66% to 2.54%. Other notable changes include the representation of Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native, all of which saw an increase ranging from 13.56% to 32.56%.

20002010Change
White92.7%90.6%-2.27%
Black3.06%3.6%17.65%
Hispanic1.66%2.54%53.01%
Two or More Races1.29%1.71%32.56%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.7%0.88%25.71%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.59%0.67%13.56%

Ralston 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 Ralston is British & Irish, which comprises 51.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.1%) and Eastern European (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish51.9%
French & German24.1%
Eastern European4.6%
Other19.4%
Ralston

Possible origins of the surname Ralston

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom88.00%
West Midlands, United Kingdom87.70%
Merseyside, United Kingdom87.70%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom87.70%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom87.40%

What Ralston 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 Ralston is I-CTS10057, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-CTS10057 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-L623 and I-M223, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Custer, Rader, Buell, Whittle, Keeler, Kester, Riddle, Babbitt, Wahl, Kling.

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

ralstonPaternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170

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 Ralston 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

Ralston

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Ralston" Surname 43.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Ralston

Misophonia

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

"Ralston" Surname 29.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Ralston

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Ralston" Surname 22.9%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Ralston

Migraine

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

"Ralston" Surname 22.9%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Ralston?

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 Ralston 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%