Explore the Family Name Scott
The meaning of Scott
1. English, Scottish, and Irish (Down): habitational and ethnic name from Middle English Scot ‘man from Scotland’. There is no evidence that the surname denoted either of the earlier senses of Scot as ‘(Gaelic-speaking) Irishman’ or ‘man from Alba’, the Gaelic-speaking region of Scotland north of the river Forth. This surname is also very common among African Americans. 2. English and Scottish: from the rare Middle English personal name Scot (Old English Scott, possibly also Old Norse Skotr), only certainly attested in northern England. 3. English: variant of Scutt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Scott in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Scott has maintained a consistent place in popularity between 2000 and 2010, remaining at rank 36. The number of individuals with this surname increased by 4.63% during this period, going from 420,091 to 439,530. Despite this growth, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased slightly by 4.32%, moving from 155.73 to 149.0.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #36 | #36 | 0% |
| Count | 420,091 | 439,530 | 4.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 155.73 | 149 | -4.32% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Scott
The ethnic identity distribution among those bearing the surname Scott saw some shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander experienced an increase of 24.39%, although it remained relatively low at 0.51%. Those reporting two or more ethnicities increased significantly from 1.90% to 2.59%. White individuals represented the largest portion but saw a slight decrease from 62.60% to 60.21%. The Hispanic group witnessed a substantial increase of 53.57%, growing from 1.68% to 2.58%. Meanwhile, the Black community saw a marginal increase from 32.26% to 32.92%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category also experienced a minor rise from 1.15% to 1.18%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 62.6% | 60.21% | -3.82% |
| Black | 32.26% | 32.92% | 2.05% |
| Two or More Races | 1.9% | 2.59% | 36.32% |
| Hispanic | 1.68% | 2.58% | 53.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.15% | 1.18% | 2.61% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.51% | 24.39% |
Scott 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 Scott is British & Irish, which comprises 51.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.7%) and Nigerian (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.4% |
| French & German | 20.7% |
| Nigerian | 4.6% |
| Other | 23.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Scott
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 Scott have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
What Scott 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 Scott is J-M67, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M67 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Brown, Smith, Taylor, Wilson, Thompson, Young, Robinson, Mitchell, White, Miller.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Scott surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Scott 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.
"Scott" Surname 42.2%
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.
"Scott" Surname 27.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Scott" Surname 23.7%
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.
"Scott" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Scott?
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 Scott are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition