Explore the Family Name Scanlon
The meaning of Scanlon
Irish (Kerry and Clare): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Scannláin, ‘descendant of Scannlán’, a personal name formed from a diminutive of Scannal (see Scannell). Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Siobhan, Caitlin, Clancy, Colm, Dympna, James Patrick, Loman, Mairead, Seamus, Sioban.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Scanlon in the United States?
The surname Scanlon saw a slight decrease in popularity between the 2000 and 2010 Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it ranked as the 2820th most popular surname with a count of 11,635 bearers across the nation. By 2010, however, it had fallen to 3,101st place with only a small decrease in the total number of bearers to 11,610. This represented a proportion per 100k change of -8.58%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,820 | #3,101 | -9.96% |
| Count | 11,635 | 11,610 | -0.21% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.31 | 3.94 | -8.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Scanlon
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts in the distribution of the Scanlon surname among different ethnicities between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the vast majority of Scanlons identified as White (96.25%), with smaller proportions identifying as Hispanic (1.66%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.58%), Two or more races (0.88%), Black (0.34%), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.28%). By 2010, while White remained the predominant ethnicity associated with the surname, there were increases in the proportions of Scanlons who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander (0.75%), Two or more races (1.11%), Hispanic (2.09%), and Black (0.42%). The only decrease was seen in those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, which dropped to 0.22%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.25% | 95.41% | -0.87% |
| Hispanic | 1.66% | 2.09% | 25.9% |
| Two or More Races | 0.88% | 1.11% | 26.14% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.58% | 0.75% | 29.31% |
| Black | 0.34% | 0.42% | 23.53% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.28% | 0.22% | -21.43% |
Scanlon 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 Scanlon is British & Irish, which comprises 63.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (13.7%) and Italian (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 63.2% |
| French & German | 13.7% |
| Italian | 5.5% |
| Other | 17.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Scanlon
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 Scanlon have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.70% |
What Scanlon 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 Scanlon is R-CTS3087, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS3087 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S660 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Cain, Scanlan, Dillon, O'Connor, Kane, Kelly, Cairns, Murray, Kearns.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Scanlon 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 Scanlon 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.
"Scanlon" Surname 46.2%
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.
"Scanlon" Surname 31.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Scanlon" Surname 21.0%
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.
"Scanlon" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Scanlon?
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 Scanlon are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition