Explore the Family Name Tew
The meaning of Tew
1. Welsh: nickname for a fat man, from tew ‘plump’. 2. English: habitational name from a place in Oxfordshire (Great, Little and Duns Tew), named with an Old English tīewe ‘row, lengthy object’, referring to the ridge on which these places are situated, or from tīwe ‘meeting place, court’. The surname has been established in Ireland since the 16th century. 3. Chinese: Teochew, Hokkien, and Taiwanese form of the surnames 張 (see Zhang 1) and 趙 (see Zhao 1).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Tew in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Tew experienced a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 6,234th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 6,470th spot, marking a change of -3.79%. Despite this, the actual count of people with the Tew surname increased from 5,053 in 2000 to 5,247 in 2010, a growth rate of 3.84%. The proportion of the population with this surname per 100,000 people decreased by 4.81%, moving from 1.87 in 2000 to 1.78 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,234 | #6,470 | -3.79% |
| Count | 5,053 | 5,247 | 3.84% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.87 | 1.78 | -4.81% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tew
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Tew. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a marked increase in the number of individuals identifying as two or more races (36.47% increase) or Hispanic (44.21% increase). Although the majority of those with the surname Tew identified as White (95.19% in 2000 and 94.43% in 2010), there was a slight decrease of -0.80% over the decade. Similarly, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by -21.10%, while the Black population increased by 17.53%. Those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native slightly decreased by -5.26%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.19% | 94.43% | -0.8% |
| Black | 1.54% | 1.81% | 17.53% |
| Hispanic | 0.95% | 1.37% | 44.21% |
| Two or More Races | 0.85% | 1.16% | 36.47% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.09% | 0.86% | -21.1% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.38% | 0.36% | -5.26% |
Tew 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 Tew is British & Irish, which comprises 61.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.0%) and Scandinavian (6.5%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Korean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 61.3% |
| French & German | 20.0% |
| Scandinavian | 6.5% |
| Other | 12.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Tew
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 Tew have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 93.90% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 93.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 93.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 93.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 93.90% |
What Tew 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 Tew is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Monks, Messick, Abernathy, Griswold, Gaskill, Peckham, Mayfield, Pauley, Couture, Larue.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Tew surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Tew 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.
"Tew" Surname 35.1%
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.
"Tew" Surname 23.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Tew" Surname 20.8%
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.
"Tew" Surname 16.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Tew?
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 Tew are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition