Explore the Family Name Ring
The meaning of Ring
1. English, Danish, German, and Dutch: metonymic occupational name for a maker of rings (from Middle English ring, Middle High German rinc, Middle Dutch ring), either to be worn as jewelry or as component parts of chain-mail, harnesses, and other objects. It may also have arisen as a nickname for a wearer of a ring. This name (of German origin) is also found in Slovenia and in Czechia. Compare English Ringer and German Rink. 2. German: topographic name from Middle High German, Middle Low German rink, rinc ‘circle’ for someone who lived at a square or market place; or a nickname for a quick or slight, small person, from Middle High German ringe ‘quick, nimble; small, not noteworthy’. 3. Norwegian: variant of Ringen. 4. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Rinn ‘descendant of Reann’, a personal name possibly derived from reann ‘spear’. 5. Irish: from Mac Bhroin; see McCrann.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ring in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Ring saw a decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 1712 but decreased to 2226 in 2010, marking a drop of approximately 30%. Similarly, the count of people with this surname fell from 19,222 in 2000 to 16,381 in 2010, a decline of nearly 15%. The proportion per 100,000 people also dropped by roughly 22% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,712 | #2,226 | -30.02% |
| Count | 19,222 | 16,381 | -14.78% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.13 | 5.55 | -22.16% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ring
When it comes to the ethnicity of individuals with the Ring surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data provides interesting insights. There was a significant increase in Asian/Pacific Islander representation from 0.99% in 2000 to 1.60% in 2010. Likewise, those identifying as two or more races and Hispanic rose by 16.56% and 23.72% respectively. However, the percentage of people identifying as Black experienced a substantial decrease of about 58%. Additionally, White representation saw a slight rise from 87.95% to 91.09%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native representation fell by 28.17%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.95% | 91.09% | 3.57% |
| Black | 7.22% | 3.05% | -57.76% |
| Hispanic | 1.56% | 1.93% | 23.72% |
| Two or More Races | 1.57% | 1.83% | 16.56% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.99% | 1.6% | 61.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.71% | 0.51% | -28.17% |
Ring 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 Ring is British & Irish, which comprises 46.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.1%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (6.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 46.7% |
| French & German | 25.1% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 6.6% |
| Other | 21.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Ring
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 Ring have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.10% |
What Ring 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 Ring is R-M467, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M467 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-A726 and I-Z58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Potter, Baxter, Curtis, Reed, Sommer, Lang, Roe, Ward, Green, Monk.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ring surname are: H1c, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
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.
What do people with the surname Ring 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.
"Ring" Surname 41.8%
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.
"Ring" Surname 17.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ring" Surname 21.6%
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.
"Ring" Surname 17.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ring?
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 Ring are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition