Explore the Family Name Southern
The meaning of Southern
English (Lancashire): nickname from Middle English s(o)uthern(e), sothron ‘southern’ (Old English sūtherne, Old Norse suthrænn), for someone ‘from the south’, particularly as a northern English nickname for someone from the south of the country and as a Scottish nickname for an Englishman.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Southern in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Southern slightly declined from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 4,381st most popular in the nation, but by 2010, it had slipped to 4,587th, a decrease of 4.7 percent. However, the actual count of individuals with the Southern surname increased by 3.26 percent over the same period, from 7,494 to 7,738. The proportion of people named Southern per 100,000 also decreased by 5.76 percent, from 2.78 to 2.62.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,381 | #4,587 | -4.7% |
| Count | 7,494 | 7,738 | 3.26% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.78 | 2.62 | -5.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Southern
The ethnic identity associated with the Southern surname became more diverse between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The proportion identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander almost doubled, while the count of those claiming two or more races grew by 16.48 percent. The percentage of Southerns who identified as white declined slightly by 2.32 percent. At the same time, there was a significant increase of 51.75 percent in those identifying as Hispanic, and a modest 3.02 percent rise among those identifying as Black. The proportion of Southern individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also rose by 49.15 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.73% | 81.79% | -2.32% |
| Black | 12.24% | 12.61% | 3.02% |
| Hispanic | 1.43% | 2.17% | 51.75% |
| Two or More Races | 1.76% | 2.05% | 16.48% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.59% | 0.88% | 49.15% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.25% | 0.49% | 96% |
Southern 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 Southern is British & Irish, which comprises 59.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.9%) and Eastern European (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 59.8% |
| French & German | 19.9% |
| Eastern European | 3.5% |
| Other | 16.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Southern
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 Southern have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.90% |
What Southern 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 Southern is R-Y4010, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y4010 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Walling, Graber, Mcnamara, Cusick, Wallen, Mangan, Mangum, Nutter, Mulholland, Kersey.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Southern 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 Southern 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.
"Southern" Surname 36.8%
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.
"Southern" Surname 34.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Southern" Surname 23.2%
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.
"Southern" Surname 12.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Southern?
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 Southern are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition