Explore the Family Name Seymour
The meaning of Seymour
1. English (London): of Norman origin, a habitational name from Saint-Maur-des-Fossés (Seine), and possibly also from Saint-Maur-des-Bois (Manche) and Saint-Maur-sur-Loire (Touraine), named from the dedication of their churches to Saint Maur (see Moore 3). 2. In some cases also an Americanized form of French Canadian Cinq-Mars or of its original French form Saint-Mars. History: The family of this name (see 1 above) who have held the title Duke of Somerset since 1547 are said by some to have originated in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés (Seine), while others claim they are from Saint-Maur-sur-Loire (Touraine). They rose to prominence under the Tudors, when Edward Seymour (died 1552) held a high position of office under Henry VIII, who was married to Edward’s sister, Jane. — Some of the American bearers of the surname Seymour are descendants of Marc-Antoine Gobelin dit Saint-Mars/Cinq-Mars from France (see Cinq-Mars), and some are descendants of his fellow-countryman Pierre Simard dit Lombrette (see Simard).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Seymour in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Seymour has experienced a slight decline over a decade. In 2000, Seymour was ranked as the 1,327th most popular surname in the United States, but it fell to the 1,394th position by 2010, reflecting a drop of 5.05 percent. Despite this slip in rankings, the actual count of people with the Seymour surname increased from 24,427 to 25,436 between 2000 and 2010, revealing a growth of 4.13 percent. However, when viewed proportionally per 100,000 people, there was a minor decrease of 4.86 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,327 | #1,394 | -5.05% |
| Count | 24,427 | 25,436 | 4.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.06 | 8.62 | -4.86% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Seymour
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Seymour also saw shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of Seymours identifying as white decreased slightly from 84.89 percent to 82.59 percent. However, those identifying as Hispanic rose significantly by 51.52 percent, going from 1.65 percent to 2.50 percent. There were also increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, with their percentages rising by 36.73 percent and 8.47 percent respectively. Meanwhile, individuals claiming two or more races and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also rose, increasing by 18.90 percent and 9.38 percent respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.89% | 82.59% | -2.71% |
| Black | 10.04% | 10.89% | 8.47% |
| Hispanic | 1.65% | 2.5% | 51.52% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 1.95% | 18.9% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.28% | 1.4% | 9.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0.67% | 36.73% |
Seymour 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 Seymour is British & Irish, which comprises 51.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.1%) and Scandinavian (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.9% |
| French & German | 24.1% |
| Scandinavian | 3.9% |
| Other | 20.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Seymour
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 Seymour have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.70% |
What Seymour 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 Seymour 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 R-CTS1843 and R-M405, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morgan, Smith, Morris, Price, Arnold, Evans, Richards, Mathews, Shaw, Phillips.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Seymour 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 Seymour 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.
"Seymour" Surname 43.8%
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.
"Seymour" Surname 28.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Seymour" Surname 20.0%
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.
"Seymour" Surname 14.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Seymour?
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 Seymour are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition