Explore the Family Name Seals
The meaning of Seals
English: variant of Seal with plural or post-medieval excrescent -s. Compare Sales, with which the name was probably interchangeable.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Seals in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Seals" has seen a minor decrease in ranking from 2000 to 2010, moving from rank 2222 to 2299, a change of -3.47%. Despite this, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname increased by 5.58%, from 15,020 in 2000 to 15,858 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also experienced a slight decline of -3.41% during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,222 | #2,299 | -3.47% |
| Count | 15,020 | 15,858 | 5.58% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.57 | 5.38 | -3.41% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Seals
Regarding ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census further indicates that the Seals surname is most common among those identifying as White and Black, with the percentages being 53.03% and 40.55% respectively in 2010. However, the percentage of individuals who identify as White has seen a small reduction of -3.74%, while those identifying as Black increased slightly by 0.35%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population with this surname recorded the highest growth at 58.82%. The Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native identities also saw increases by 25.00% and 20.37% respectively. Those reporting two or more races also increased significantly by 46.63% between 2000 and 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 55.09% | 53.03% | -3.74% |
| Black | 40.41% | 40.55% | 0.35% |
| Two or More Races | 1.78% | 2.61% | 46.63% |
| Hispanic | 1.36% | 2.16% | 58.82% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.08% | 1.3% | 20.37% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.28% | 0.35% | 25% |
Seals 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 Seals is British & Irish, which comprises 50.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.3%) and Nigerian (7.4%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Angolan & Congolese, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.2% |
| French & German | 18.3% |
| Nigerian | 7.4% |
| Other | 24.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Seals
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 Seals have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 75.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 75.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 75.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 75.50% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 75.10% |
What Seals 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 Seals is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z138 and E-U290, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Seal, Bromley, Rollins, Prince, Moon, Maynard, Oliver, Howe, Maxwell, Barnard.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Seals surname are: H1, T2b, 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 Seals 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.
"Seals" Surname 36.6%
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.
"Seals" Surname 28.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Seals" Surname 26.2%
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.
"Seals" Surname 16.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Seals?
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 Seals are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition