Explore the Family Name South
The meaning of South
English: from Middle English south ‘south’, denoting someone who had migrated ‘from the south’, especially someone from southern England living in the north of the country. It may also have been used as a topographic name to denote someone living in the southern part of a settlement or region. Compare Southern.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name South in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'South' has slightly declined between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, 'South' was ranked 3066 in terms of popularity and had a count of 10,839 occurrences. By 2010, the rank had dropped to 3231, indicating a 5.38% decrease in rank. However, the actual count of people with this surname increased by about 3.13%, from 10839 in 2000 to 11178 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of people named 'South' per 100k population also decreased by 5.72%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,066 | #3,231 | -5.38% |
| Count | 10,839 | 11,178 | 3.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.02 | 3.79 | -5.72% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name South
The ethnicity breakdown of the surname 'South', according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, reveals some changes between 2000 and 2010. The largest ethnic identity associated with this surname is 'White', comprising 89.78% in 2000 and decreasing slightly to 88.15% in 2010. The 'Black' ethnicity saw a small increase from 5.62% to 6.03%. There was a notable increase in the 'Hispanic' identity from 1.87% to 2.59%, as well as in the 'Two or more races' category, which rose from 1.32% to 1.87%. Meanwhile, the 'Asian/Pacific Islander' representation also increased from 0.79% to 0.87%. Only the 'American Indian and Alaskan Native' group saw a drop, going from 0.62% to 0.49%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.78% | 88.15% | -1.82% |
| Black | 5.62% | 6.03% | 7.3% |
| Hispanic | 1.87% | 2.59% | 38.5% |
| Two or More Races | 1.32% | 1.87% | 41.67% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.79% | 0.87% | 10.13% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.62% | 0.49% | -20.97% |
South 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 South is British & Irish, which comprises 58.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.4%) and Scandinavian (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.2% |
| French & German | 23.4% |
| Scandinavian | 3.7% |
| Other | 14.8% |
Possible origins of the surname South
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 South have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 92.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 92.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 92.00% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 92.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 92.00% |
What South 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 South is R-MC21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-MC21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Loveland, Benham, Christian, Finney, Redding, Pearce, Cooper, Christy, Wheeler, Redden.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with South surname are: H1, J1c, 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 South 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.
"South" Surname 38.4%
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.
"South" Surname 31.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"South" Surname 21.0%
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.
"South" Surname 16.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name South?
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 South are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition