Explore the Family Name Sutherland
The meaning of Sutherland
Scottish (Caithness): habitational name from the Scottish county of Sutherland, named with Old Norse súthr ‘south, southern’ + land ‘land’ because the territory lay south of Scandinavia and the Norse colonies in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. History: This is the name of a Highland Scottish clan associated with the county of Sutherland.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sutherland in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Sutherland has experienced a slight shift from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 1128 in popularity, but by 2010 it had slipped slightly to 1195, representing a decrease of 5.94%. However, the count of individuals with this surname increased from 28,417 in 2000 to 29,585 in 2010, an increase of 4.11%. Similarly, the proportion of people named Sutherland per 100,000 decreased by 4.75% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,128 | #1,195 | -5.94% |
| Count | 28,417 | 29,585 | 4.11% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.53 | 10.03 | -4.75% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sutherland
When we take a look at the ethnicity data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, we see variations among those with the surname Sutherland. The largest ethnic identity associated with the name remains White, although it experienced a slight decrease from 86.49% in 2000 to 83.46% in 2010. The most significant change occurred within the Hispanic community, which saw an increase of 56.52% in the number of Sutherlands identifying as such. People of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native descent also saw increases of 23.21% and 26.51% respectively. Those identifying with two or more races saw a slight decrease of 4.76%, and the Black community saw an increase of 18.76% in the number of individuals with the surname Sutherland.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.49% | 83.46% | -3.5% |
| Black | 8.37% | 9.94% | 18.76% |
| Hispanic | 2.07% | 3.24% | 56.52% |
| Two or More Races | 1.68% | 1.6% | -4.76% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.83% | 1.05% | 26.51% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.56% | 0.69% | 23.21% |
Sutherland 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 Sutherland is British & Irish, which comprises 55.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.9%) and Scandinavian (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.5% |
| French & German | 20.9% |
| Scandinavian | 5.0% |
| Other | 18.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Sutherland
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 Sutherland have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
What Sutherland 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 Sutherland is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-S764, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lindsey, Sanderson, O'Neal, Hewitt, Noble, Powell, O'Neill, Chamberlain, Forbes, Machado.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sutherland 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 Sutherland 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.
"Sutherland" Surname 48.0%
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.
"Sutherland" Surname 29.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sutherland" Surname 21.8%
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.
"Sutherland" Surname 16.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sutherland?
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 Sutherland are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition