Explore the Family Name Spitzer

The meaning of Spitzer

1. German: variant of Spitz, the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): possibly a derivative of Spitz. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Chaim, Aron, Eliezer, Hershel, Toba, Arnon, Bracha, Chaya, Etti, Gitty, Moishe. German Kurt, Hellmut, Berthold, Erwin, Frieda, Friedrich, Hans, Helmuth, Hertha, Hilde, Katharina.

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

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

According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Spitzer has slightly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5,035th most popular surname with a count of 6,395 individuals bearing it, equivalent to 2.37 people per 100,000. By 2010, the surname had climbed to the 5,002nd rank with an increased count of 7,027 individuals, representing an increase of 9.88%. The proportion per 100,000 also saw a small increase of 0.42% in this decade.

20002010Change
Rank#5,035#5,0020.66%
Count6,3957,0279.88%
Proportion per 100k2.372.380.42%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Spitzer

In terms of ethnicity, again according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority of individuals with the Spitzer surname identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, making up 96.31% and 96.04% respectively. There were slight shifts in other ethnic identities over this period. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander rose by 53.85%, while Hispanic identification also saw an increase of 33.81%. Meanwhile, there was a decrease in the number of individuals identifying as Black or belonging to two or more races. The number of American Indian and Alaskan Natives with the Spitzer surname showed a modest increase of 21.05%.

20002010Change
White96.31%96.04%-0.28%
Hispanic1.39%1.86%33.81%
Two or More Races1.41%1.04%-26.24%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.39%0.6%53.85%
Black0.31%0.23%-25.81%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.19%0.23%21.05%

Spitzer 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 Spitzer is French & German, which comprises 28.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (26.8%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (25.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
French & German28.2%
British & Irish26.8%
Ashkenazi Jewish25.5%
Other19.5%
Spitzer

Possible origins of the surname Spitzer

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom58.90%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom58.90%
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom58.20%
Merseyside, United Kingdom58.20%
West Midlands, United Kingdom57.60%

What Spitzer 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 Spitzer is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and I-DF29, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Kuhn, Skinner, Appel, Hudson, Wagner, Beyer, Engel, Vogel, Gross, Hirsch.

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

spitzerPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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 Spitzer 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

Spitzer

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Spitzer" Surname 41.7%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Spitzer

Misophonia

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

"Spitzer" Surname 38.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Spitzer

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Spitzer" Surname 16.9%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Spitzer

Migraine

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

"Spitzer" Surname 18.5%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Spitzer?

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 Spitzer 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

French & German 60.8%

23andMe Users 57.2%