Explore the Family Name Shumway
The meaning of Shumway
Americanized form of French Chamois. Altered ending reflects the Canadian and American French pronunciation of the diphthong oi as ‘wé’, which in France was replaced in the 17th century by the current ‘wa’. History: The ancestor of the Shumways was Peter Shumway, originally almost certainly Pierre Chamois from France, probably a Huguenot, who was in MA by 1675. He is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shumway in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Shumway saw a slight increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Shumway was ranked 6,458th in popularity among surnames with 4,848 occurrences, or about 1.8 for every 100,000 people. By 2010, its rank had risen slightly to 6,434th, with 5,278 occurrences, or approximately 1.79 per 100,000 people. This represents a modest increase in popularity of 0.37% over this time period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,458 | #6,434 | 0.37% |
| Count | 4,848 | 5,278 | 8.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.8 | 1.79 | -0.56% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shumway
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnicity associated with the surname Shumway. In 2000, the majority of those bearing the surname (96.47%) identified as White. The following decade, this percentage decreased slightly by 1.28%, but remained the dominant ethnic identity at 95.24%. While still small in comparison, the percentages of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and Two or more races increased. Particularly notable is the rise in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, with increases of 178.95% and 60.00% respectively. Those acknowledging American Indian and Alaskan Native heritage also rose, but only by 8.57%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.47% | 95.24% | -1.28% |
| Hispanic | 1.73% | 2.2% | 27.17% |
| Two or More Races | 1.01% | 1.25% | 23.76% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.19% | 0.53% | 178.95% |
| Black | 0.25% | 0.4% | 60% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.38% | 8.57% |
Shumway 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 Shumway is British & Irish, which comprises 55.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.4%) and Scandinavian (6.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Chinese, Greek & Balkan, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.4% |
| French & German | 24.4% |
| Scandinavian | 6.1% |
| Other | 14.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Shumway
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 Shumway have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
What Shumway 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 Shumway is R-Z209, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z209 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-M170 and R-L51, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Melancon, Dionne, Bourque, Demers, Whitworth, Harlan, Loomis, Paradis, Bernier, Nadeau.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Shumway surname are: H1c, H1, 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 Shumway 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.
"Shumway" Surname 64.4%
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.
"Shumway" Surname 15.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Shumway" Surname 19.7%
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.
"Shumway" Surname 15.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Shumway?
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 Shumway are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition