Explore the Family Name Sandy
The meaning of Sandy
1. English: habitational name from Sandy (Bedfordshire), from Old English sand ‘sand’ + ēg ‘island’, ‘dry land in a fen or marsh’. 2. English: ultimately from the Old Norse personal name Sand(i), a short form of the various compound names with the first element sandr ‘sand’, such as Sandúlfr (see Sandall). 3. Scottish: from an abbreviated and suffixed pet form of Alexander; compare Sandison.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sandy in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname 'Sandy' experienced a slight dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Sandy ranked 5621 in commonality across all surnames and by 2010, it had fallen to rank 5914, indicating a decrease in popularity of approximately 5.21%. However, the count of people with this surname increased from 5663 in 2000 to 5826 in 2010, suggesting an overall growth rate of 2.88%. This indicates that despite the relative drop in ranking, more people bore the surname 'Sandy' in 2010 than in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,621 | #5,914 | -5.21% |
| Count | 5,663 | 5,826 | 2.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.1 | 1.98 | -5.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sandy
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some interesting shifts for the surname 'Sandy'. The proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, two or more races, Hispanic, or Black saw increases between 2000 and 2010. The largest growth was seen within the Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander communities, with increases of 32.39% and 31.45% respectively. Conversely, the percentage of individuals of White ethnicity decreased by about 5.47%. There was no change recorded in the American Indian and Alaskan Native group. This suggests a diversification in the ethnic identities associated with the surname 'Sandy' over the course of a decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.77% | 76.35% | -5.47% |
| Black | 11.94% | 14.61% | 22.36% |
| Hispanic | 2.84% | 3.76% | 32.39% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.59% | 2.09% | 31.45% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 1.97% | 20.12% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.22% | 1.22% | 0% |
Sandy 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 Sandy is British & Irish, which comprises 49.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.7%) and Italian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 49.0% |
| French & German | 23.7% |
| Italian | 4.4% |
| Other | 22.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Sandy
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 Sandy have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.90% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 83.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.10% |
What Sandy 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 Sandy is R-Y4010, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y4010 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-DF29 and E-M180, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Kersey, Wallen, Bannister, Mangum, Southern, Flannery, Hazel, Mcnamara, Maloney, Corbett.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sandy surname are: H1, H, J1. 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 Sandy 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.
"Sandy" Surname 31.4%
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.
"Sandy" Surname 38.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sandy" Surname 31.0%
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.
"Sandy" Surname 19.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sandy?
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 Sandy are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition