Explore the Family Name Spalding

The meaning of Spalding

English and Scottish (Angus): variant of Spaulding. History: The surname was taken to Scotland in the 13th century by Radulphus de Spalding. His descendants prospered, and the name is still common in Scotland. Early American Spaldings include Thomas Spalding, born in Frederica, GA, in 1774, who introduced sea-island cotton in GA, and the physician Lyman Spalding, born in Cornish, NH, in 1775, who founded US Pharmacopoeia.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Spalding in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Spalding has seen some changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 3905th most popular surname, but dropped to the 4125th position in 2010, marking a decrease of 5.63%. However, the actual count of people carrying the surname increased from 8,363 to 8,601 during the same period, an increase of roughly 2.85%. The proportion of this surname per 100,000 individuals also declined by 5.81%, going from 3.1 to 2.92.

20002010Change
Rank#3,905#4,125-5.63%
Count8,3638,6012.85%
Proportion per 100k3.12.92-5.81%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Spalding

The ethnic identity distribution of the surname Spalding also underwent some shifts from 2000 to 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Spaldings identifying as White decreased slightly by 1.29%, going from 89.31% to 88.16%. Meanwhile, there was a significant increase in those identifying as Hispanic, with a rise of 57.23%, and those reporting two or more races, with an increase of 45.97%. The number of Spaldings identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by 26.19%, while the number of Black Spaldings dipped by 5.65%. Those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw an increase of 38.46%.

20002010Change
White89.31%88.16%-1.29%
Black6.37%6.01%-5.65%
Hispanic1.59%2.5%57.23%
Two or More Races1.24%1.81%45.97%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.65%0.9%38.46%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.84%0.62%-26.19%

Spalding 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 Spalding is British & Irish, which comprises 57.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.0%) and Scandinavian (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish57.7%
French & German23.0%
Scandinavian3.9%
Other15.4%
Spalding

Possible origins of the surname Spalding

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 Spalding have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom92.30%
Greater London, United Kingdom92.30%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom91.90%
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom91.90%
Merseyside, United Kingdom91.90%

What Spalding 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 Spalding is R-CTS2243, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS2243 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include I-S25733 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Coats, Clift, Matheson, Kemp, Mccloud, Ross, Rivers, Archer, George, Spaulding.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Spalding surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

spaldingPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420

Your 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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Spalding 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

Spalding

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Spalding" Surname 46.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Spalding

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Spalding" Surname 27.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Spalding

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Spalding" Surname 23.9%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Spalding

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Spalding" Surname 17.0%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Spalding?

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 Spalding are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%