Explore the Family Name Sexton
The meaning of Sexton
1. English: occupational name for a sexton or churchwarden, from Middle English sextein(e) ‘sexton’ (Old French secrestein, medieval Latin sacristanus). The sexton was originally the officer of a church in charge of the sacred vessels and vestments, but later came to denote one who looked after the churchyard and dug graves. 2. English: in northern England a variant of Saxton. 3. English: possibly a habitational name from Sexton in Ermington (Devon), recorded as Shecoteston in 1329. The placename derives from the family of Richard Sheccoc, recorded at Sexton in 1199, + Middle English toun ‘farmstead, village, settlement’. The origin of Richard Sheccoc’s name is uncertain due to confusion between c and t, as seen in the name of one of his descendants, Richard Scheccote, recorded at Sexton in 1333. 4. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Seastnáin ‘descendant of Seastnán, Seasnán’, a personal name meaning ‘bodyguard’, from seasuighim ‘to resist, to defend’. The English surname was also established in Ireland, where the rare surname McAtackney may represent a part-translation of ‘son of the Sexton’ into Irish.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sexton in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Sexton saw a slight drop between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 747th in frequency among U.S. surnames with 42,080 individuals identified as Sextons, equating to roughly 15.6 persons per 100,000. By 2010, the rank had slipped to 804, despite an increase in the overall count to 43,133 Sextons, or about 14.62 persons per 100,000. This represents a 2.5% increase in the count but a 7.63% decrease in rank and a 6.28% decrease in proportion.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #747 | #804 | -7.63% |
| Count | 42,080 | 43,133 | 2.5% |
| Proportion per 100k | 15.6 | 14.62 | -6.28% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sexton
In terms of ethnic identity, the majority of people with the surname Sexton identified as White, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, 92.92% identified as White, decreasing slightly to 91.43% by 2010. The percentage of Sextons identifying as Black increased from 3.38% to 3.64%. Meanwhile, the percentage identifying as Hispanic saw the most significant gain, rising from 1.39% in 2000 to 2.14% in 2010. Comparatively smaller proportions identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, with an increase from 0.33% to 0.46%, and as American Indian and Alaskan Native, with a marginal rise from 0.73% to 0.74%. Lastly, those identifying with two or more races grew from 1.25% to 1.58%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.92% | 91.43% | -1.6% |
| Black | 3.38% | 3.64% | 7.69% |
| Hispanic | 1.39% | 2.14% | 53.96% |
| Two or More Races | 1.25% | 1.58% | 26.4% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.73% | 0.74% | 1.37% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.46% | 39.39% |
Sexton 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 Sexton is British & Irish, which comprises 60.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.7%) and Eastern European (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 60.0% |
| French & German | 21.7% |
| Eastern European | 4.0% |
| Other | 14.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Sexton
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 Sexton have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
What Sexton 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 Sexton is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P25_1, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Winn, Alford, Chamberlain, Plummer, Cooley, Wynn, Dwyer, O'Neal, Sanderson, Armstrong.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sexton 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 Sexton 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.
"Sexton" Surname 39.7%
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.
"Sexton" Surname 28.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sexton" Surname 24.2%
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.
"Sexton" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sexton?
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 Sexton are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition