Explore the Family Name Stewart
The meaning of Stewart
Scottish (Lanarkshire) and English: originally an occupational name for an administrative official of an estate, from Middle English stiward, Old English stigweard, stīweard, a compound of stig ‘house(hold)’ + weard ‘guardian’. In the Anglo-Saxon period this title was used of an officer controlling the domestic affairs of a household, especially of the royal household; after the Norman Conquest it was also used more widely as the native equivalent of Seneschal, for the steward of a manor or manager of an estate. In Scotland the term was also used of a magistrate originally appointed by the king to administer crown lands, forming a stewartry. History: Stuart or Stewart is the surname of one of the great families of Scotland, the royal family of Scotland from the 14th century, and of England from 1603, when James VI of Scotland acceded to the English throne as James I. There were many minor branches of the family left in Britain after the flight of James II in 1688, but not every bearer of the surname can claim relationship with the royal house, even in Scotland. Every great house in medieval England and Scotland had its steward, and in many cases the office gave rise to a hereditary surname. The fall of the house of Stuart in Britain, conversely, led to the establishment of several highly placed branches bearing this surname in continental Europe, which are in most cases related to the old Scottish royal family.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Stewart in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname "Stewart" has experienced a modest shift in popularity. In 2000, it was the 54th most popular surname in the United States, falling slightly to 61st place by 2010, a decrease of almost 13 percent. However, the actual number of individuals with this surname grew from 312,899 in 2000 to 324,957 in 2010, an increase of just under 4 percent. Proportionally, there are fewer Stewarts per 100,000 people in the U.S., with the rate dropping by a little over 5 percent between 2000 and 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #54 | #61 | -12.96% |
| Count | 312,899 | 324,957 | 3.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 115.99 | 110.16 | -5.03% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Stewart
The ethnicity of individuals with the Stewart surname also saw some changes between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The greatest growth was seen among those identifying as Hispanic (a rise of 56.6 percent) followed by those who identify with two or more races (an increase of 32.54 percent). Asian/Pacific Islander Stewarts increased by 26.32 percent. A slight increase of 4.32 percent was observed among Black Stewarts, while American Indian and Alaskan Native Stewarts increased by 4.05 percent. Conversely, the proportion of White Stewarts decreased by 3.64 percent during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.78% | 69.17% | -3.64% |
| Black | 23.83% | 24.86% | 4.32% |
| Hispanic | 1.59% | 2.49% | 56.6% |
| Two or More Races | 1.69% | 2.24% | 32.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.74% | 0.77% | 4.05% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.48% | 26.32% |
Stewart 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 Stewart is British & Irish, which comprises 54.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.8%) and Nigerian (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.9% |
| French & German | 20.8% |
| Nigerian | 3.5% |
| Other | 20.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Stewart
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 Stewart have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
What Stewart 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 Stewart is R-S775, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S775 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Stuart, Wilson, Martin, Black, Brown, Matthews, Thompson, Smith, Clark, Patterson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Stewart 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 Stewart 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.
"Stewart" Surname 41.8%
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.
"Stewart" Surname 26.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Stewart" Surname 22.4%
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.
"Stewart" Surname 19.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Stewart?
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 Stewart are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition