Explore the Family Name Thigpen
The meaning of Thigpen
Probably an altered form of English Thickpenny, which belonged to a late 15th-century merchant family based in Plymouth (Devon) and in York. In the 16th and 17th centuries it is recorded as a gentry surname in Rutland, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, East Anglia, and Ireland. The surname appears to be a nickname ‘thick penny’ but the motivation is obscure, and it may be an altered form, by folk etymology, of some other name. In North America and Ireland there is a close family relationship between persons named Thigpen and those named Phippen, but if the two names are linguistically related, it is more likely that Phippen would be a simplified pronunciation of Thickpenny alias Thigpen than the other way round. History: The first bearer of the surname Thigpen in North America was apparently James Thigpen, born 1627 in Shannon, Ireland, died 1679 in NC.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Thigpen in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Thigpen has seen a slight drop in its popularity in the United States from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, it was ranked as the 3599th most common surname, which dropped to 3784th place by 2010, representing a decrease of 5.14%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased by 3.21% over the same time period, from 9,068 in 2000 to 9,359 in 2010. The proportion of people with the Thigpen surname per 100,000 individuals also decreased by 5.65%, from 3.36 in 2000 to 3.17 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,599 | #3,784 | -5.14% |
| Count | 9,068 | 9,359 | 3.21% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.36 | 3.17 | -5.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Thigpen
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Thigpen surname, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates some changes between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals with this surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw an upward trend. The most significant increase was among those identifying as Two or more races, growing by 62.20%, followed by Hispanic at 50.62%, and Asian/Pacific Islander at 45.00%. Conversely, the percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased by 3.17%, from 64.29% in 2000 to 62.25% in 2010. Despite minor fluctuations, the largest ethnic groups associated with the Thigpen surname continue to be White and Black, with the latter seeing a modest growth of 1.93% during the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 64.29% | 62.25% | -3.17% |
| Black | 33.18% | 33.82% | 1.93% |
| Two or More Races | 1.27% | 2.06% | 62.2% |
| Hispanic | 0.81% | 1.22% | 50.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.25% | 0.36% | 44% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.2% | 0.29% | 45% |
Thigpen 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 Thigpen is British & Irish, which comprises 61.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.8%) and Nigerian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 61.6% |
| French & German | 16.8% |
| Nigerian | 4.4% |
| Other | 17.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Thigpen
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 Thigpen have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
What Thigpen 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 Thigpen 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-CTS4188 and I-P109, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Cromwell, Whitaker, Prince, Moon, Tinsley, Mcnair, Kendrick, Maxwell, Massey, Chism.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Thigpen surname are: H1, H, U5a. 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 Thigpen 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.
"Thigpen" Surname 52.6%
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.
"Thigpen" Surname 24.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Thigpen" Surname 14.0%
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.
"Thigpen" Surname 11.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Thigpen?
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 Thigpen are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition