Explore the Family Name Stevenson
The meaning of Stevenson
1. English: from the Middle English and Older Scots personal name Steven, Stephen (see Steven) + -son. This surname is also very common in northern Ireland (especially Antrim and Down), where it has been interchangeable with Steenson and Stinson. In North America, this surname has also absorbed various European cognates, such as Danish, Norwegian, and North German Steffensen or Stephensen; see also Stevens. 2. Scottish: variant of Stevenston, a habitational name from Stevenston (Ayrshire), Stevenson in Newlands (Peeblesshire), or Stevenson in Haddington (East Lothian). The placename in each case derives from the personal name Steven + Older Scots toun ‘farmstead, settlement’. 3. English: habitational name from Stevenstone (Devon), meaning ‘Stephen’s farmstead’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Stevenson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Stevenson saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it held the rank of 395 among all surnames in the United States, with approximately 72,892 individuals bearing this name. However, by 2010, it had slipped to rank 432 despite an increase in absolute count to 75,169. This represented a negative change in rank by 9.37%, but interestingly, an increment in count by 3.12%. The proportion per 100k also slightly dropped from 27.02 to 25.48 which is a -5.7% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #395 | #432 | -9.37% |
| Count | 72,892 | 75,169 | 3.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 27.02 | 25.48 | -5.7% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Stevenson
The ethnic identity tied to the Stevenson surname also saw some shifts between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The largest percentage growth was seen among those identifying as Hispanic, increasing by 53.41% from 1.76% to 2.70%, followed by Asian/Pacific Islander and individuals of two or more races, showing increases of 40.00% and 39.66%, respectively. White individuals carrying the Stevenson surname decreased slightly from 65.79% to 63.44%, while Black individuals increased marginally from 29.69% to 30.19%. American Indian and Alaskan Native representation remained relatively consistent with a minor increase of 5.88%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 65.79% | 63.44% | -3.57% |
| Black | 29.69% | 30.19% | 1.68% |
| Hispanic | 1.76% | 2.7% | 53.41% |
| Two or More Races | 1.79% | 2.5% | 39.66% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.63% | 40% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.51% | 0.54% | 5.88% |
Stevenson 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 Stevenson is British & Irish, which comprises 52.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.6%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.1% |
| French & German | 20.6% |
| Scandinavian | 4.4% |
| Other | 23.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Stevenson
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 Stevenson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
What Stevenson 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 Stevenson 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-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Stephenson, Norman, Powers, Lowe, Arthur, Reed, Frazier, Fields, Baker, White.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Stevenson 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 Stevenson 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.
"Stevenson" Surname 40.5%
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.
"Stevenson" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Stevenson" Surname 21.3%
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.
"Stevenson" Surname 18.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Stevenson?
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 Stevenson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition