Explore the Family Name Sparrow
The meaning of Sparrow
English: nickname from Middle English spar(e)we, sperwe, sparow(e) ‘sparrow’ (Old English spearwa), perhaps used for a small, chirpy person or, bearing in mind Chaucer’s description of the Summoner in the Canterbury Tales as ‘hot he was and lecherous as a sparrow’, for someone sexually promiscous.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sparrow in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Sparrow' experienced a slight decline in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 4496 to 4657—a decrease of 3.58%. However, in terms of counts, the number of people carrying the Sparrow last name increased by 4.83%, rising from 7263 to 7614. This increase took place despite the proportion per 100,000 dropping by 4.09% during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,496 | #4,657 | -3.58% |
| Count | 7,263 | 7,614 | 4.83% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.69 | 2.58 | -4.09% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sparrow
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts within the Sparrow surname bearers between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders with this last name saw a significant increase of 72.22%, growing from 0.36% to 0.62%. People identifying as two or more races also increased by 44.67%, while Hispanic representation rose by 52.67%. On the other hand, there was a minor decrease in the White demographic (from 71.95% to 69.48%), while the Black community saw a small increase of 3.06%. Lastly, American Indian and Alaskan Natives representation also experienced a growth of 27.5% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.95% | 69.48% | -3.43% |
| Black | 24.48% | 25.23% | 3.06% |
| Two or More Races | 1.5% | 2.17% | 44.67% |
| Hispanic | 1.31% | 2% | 52.67% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.36% | 0.62% | 72.22% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.4% | 0.51% | 27.5% |
Sparrow 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 Sparrow is British & Irish, which comprises 53.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.4%) and Eastern European (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Nigerian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.6% |
| French & German | 21.4% |
| Eastern European | 3.7% |
| Other | 21.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Sparrow
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 Sparrow have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
What Sparrow 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 Sparrow is I-Z58, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z58 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Kitchen, Brookes, Stephenson, Butts, Otte, Hanes, Whaley, Dodd, Jessen, Mathes.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sparrow surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Alexander Hamilton
Early in the morning on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr (then Vice President of the United States) and Alexander Hamilton (founder of the U.S. Treasury) dueled on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. This marked the culmination of a bitter personal and political rivalry between the two men. Alexander Hamilton died as a result of the duel, but his intellectual legacy survives in the founding documents of the nation he helped build. A piece of his genetic legacy survives as well: in the 21st century, genealogists documented the paternal haplogroups of dozens of Hamilton's living descendants and concluded that the Founding Father's paternal haplogroup was a branch of I-DF29.
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.
What do people with the surname Sparrow 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.
"Sparrow" Surname 44.2%
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.
"Sparrow" Surname 23.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sparrow" Surname 25.3%
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.
"Sparrow" Surname 22.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sparrow?
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 Sparrow are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition