Explore the Family Name Teller
The meaning of Teller
1. German: variant of Tell 2 and 3, a topographic name. 2. German: metonymic occupational name from Middle High German, Middle Low German teller ‘plate’. 3. North German: nickname from Middle Low German teller ‘progenitor, father’. 4. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Teller, Yiddish teler ‘plate’, either a metonymic occupational name for a dish maker or a nickname. 5. Dutch: occupational name from teller, a marketplace official. 6. English (Middlesex): occupational name from Anglo-Norman French tel(i)er, Middle English tel(l)er, teller ‘weaver (of linen cloth)’ or alternatively, perhaps from Middle English teller(e) ‘messenger; accountant’. 7. Native American (Navajo): from English teller, probably used as a translation of a Navajo term for a storyteller, halni’. The same surname, in English, is also found among Pueblos where it can possibly have different meaning (see Cajero). 8. Catalan: from a derivative of Tell 4. History: This surname is recorded in Beverwyck in New Netherland (now Albany, NY) in the mid-17th century. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Moshe, Dov, Hyman, Aron, Avrum, Hershel, Menachem, Meyer, Nuchem, Yitzchock, Zalman, Zvi.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Teller in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Teller has seen an increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 8798 with a count of 3429, indicating that per 100,000 people, 1.27 had this surname. By 2010, the Teller surname rose in rank to 8623 and the count increased to 3814. This indicates a shift in the proportion of individuals with the Teller name from 1.27 to 1.29 per 100,000 people, marking an approximate 2% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,798 | #8,623 | 1.99% |
| Count | 3,429 | 3,814 | 11.23% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.27 | 1.29 | 1.57% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Teller
From an ethnic identity perspective, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows slight shifts in the distribution across different backgrounds. In 2000, the majority of individuals with the Teller surname identified as White (75.65%), followed by those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native (13.59%). By 2010, there was a small increase in both these categories, with 75.93% identifying as White and 14.58% as American Indian and Alaskan Native. The census also revealed increases in the proportions of individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic ethnicity bearing the Teller surname, while those identifying as Black or two or more races saw a decrease over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75.65% | 75.93% | 0.37% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 13.59% | 14.58% | 7.28% |
| Hispanic | 4.58% | 4.88% | 6.55% |
| Black | 3.24% | 2.2% | -32.1% |
| Two or More Races | 2.42% | 1.81% | -25.21% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.6% | 15.38% |
Teller 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 Teller is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 29.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (28.0%) and French & German (21.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, Italian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 29.7% |
| British & Irish | 28.0% |
| French & German | 21.9% |
| Other | 20.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Teller
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 Teller have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 64.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 64.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 64.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 64.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 63.30% |
What Teller 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 Teller is R-CTS8277, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS8277 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include I-M170 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Steed, Ridgway, Wildman, Bradbury, Scales, Weston, Strain, Ridgeway, Thorp, Hill.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Teller surname are: H1, H, N1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Teller 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.
"Teller" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Teller" Surname 35.0%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Teller" Surname 20.0%
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.
"Teller" Surname 20.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Teller?
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 Teller are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition