Explore the Family Name Salmon
The meaning of Salmon
1. English and French: from the Middle English and Old French personal name Salmon, Saumon, a shortened form of Salomon (see Solomon). The Normans introduced it to England, and it was current as a personal name there until at least the end of the 14th century. The derived surname is found throughout 13th- and 14th-century England, mostly in the spellings Saleman and Salman, which eventually became regularized as Salmon. See also 2 below, compare Salman 3. 2. English: occasionally perhaps a nickname for someone ‘as wise as Solomon’. In Chaucer’s Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale, it is stated: ‘And whan we been togidres euerichoon, Euery man semeth a Salomon’. King Solomon was famed for his wisdom. 3. English: nickname from Anglo-Norman French, Middle English salmon, saumo(u)n, saumun, samoun ‘salmon’, no doubt given to someone who caught, sold, or ate the fish. 4. Irish: part translation of Gaelic Ó Bradáin ‘descendant of Bradán’, a personal name probably derived from bradach ‘spirited’, but written the same as an Irish word meaning ‘salmon’; the name is also sometimes translated Fisher. 5. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish male personal name Zalmen, derived via a German form from Hebrew Shelomo (see Solomon). Compare Salman 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Salmon in the United States?
The surname "Salmon" saw a slight dip in its rank in terms of popularity between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. Ranked 2482nd in 2000, it fell slightly to 2486th in 2010, representing a minimal change of -0.16. However, the actual count of people with this surname increased from 13,328 to 14,511 during this decade, a rise of 8.88%. The proportion per 100,000 people remained steady at around 4.94 in 2000 and 4.92 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,482 | #2,486 | -0.16% |
| Count | 13,328 | 14,511 | 8.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.94 | 4.92 | -0.4% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Salmon
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts among those with the surname Salmon. People identifying as White decreased from 75.07% in 2000 to 69.37% in 2010. There was an increase among those identifying as Black (from 13.89% to 17.17%), Hispanic (from 7.42% to 9.45%), and Asian/Pacific Islander (from 1.09% to 1.47%). Those who identified with two or more races also experienced a slight increase from 2.00% to 2.06%. Meanwhile, the number of American Indian and Alaskan Natives with this surname decreased slightly from 0.54% to 0.47%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75.07% | 69.37% | -7.59% |
| Black | 13.89% | 17.17% | 23.61% |
| Hispanic | 7.42% | 9.45% | 27.36% |
| Two or More Races | 2% | 2.06% | 3% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.09% | 1.47% | 34.86% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.54% | 0.47% | -12.96% |
Salmon 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 Salmon is British & Irish, which comprises 48.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.7%) and Nigerian (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.8% |
| French & German | 20.7% |
| Nigerian | 4.2% |
| Other | 26.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Salmon
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 Salmon have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 74.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 74.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 74.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 73.80% |
What Salmon 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 Salmon 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 E-V13 and R-S764, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mitchell, Saunders, Sanders, Smith, Griffin, Clark, Taylor, Wilson, Brown, Wright.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Salmon surname are: H1, K1a, 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 Salmon 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.
"Salmon" 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.
"Salmon" Surname 21.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Salmon" Surname 19.5%
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.
"Salmon" Surname 20.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Salmon?
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 Salmon are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition