Explore the Family Name Toussaint
The meaning of Toussaint
1. French, Walloon, West Indian (mainly Haiti), and Mauritian: from the French personal name Toussaint ‘All Saints’ Day’, the name given to a child born on that day or during that time of the year. Compare Tousant and Tusa. 2. In North America, this surname also originated from a transferred use of the French personal (given) name Toussaint (see 1 above) as a surname (i.e. as a replacement of the original surname). History: Jean Toussaint from Savigné in Vienne, France, married Suzanne Mimeau in Quebec City, QC, in 1725. — In North America, this surname was originally also a secondary surname or dit (‘also called’) name, borne by Jean-Baptiste Cusson dit Toussaint, a descendant of Jean Cusson from Sainte-Marguerite-sur-Duclair in Seine-Maritime, France. Jean-Baptiste married Adeline Ratté in Henryville, QC, in 1859. — It was a French Canadian, Toussaint Leroux dit Cardinal (a descendant of François Leroux dit Cardinal from France; see Cardinal), whose personal name became a surname (see 2 above) among his descendants. He married Catherine Audet in Saint-Luc, QC, in 1836. Some characteristic forenames: French Jacques, Armand, Marcel, Yves, Andre, Gaston, Jean Claude, Lucien, Marcelle, Pierre, Raoul, Serge.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Toussaint in the United States?
The surname "Toussaint" saw a rise in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. Its rank jumped from 5598 to 4759, reflecting an increase of roughly 15 percent. The count of individuals with this surname also grew significantly from 5686 in 2000 to 7441 in 2010, marking an upsurge of 30.87 percent. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people increased by 19.43 percent over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,598 | #4,759 | 14.99% |
| Count | 5,686 | 7,441 | 30.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.11 | 2.52 | 19.43% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Toussaint
Ethnicity data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals shifts in the distribution of the "Toussaint" surname across ethnic identities from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Black with this last name increased by 14.46 percent, while the Hispanic population saw a 64.52 percent growth. Meanwhile, the proportion of Asian/Pacific Islanders, Whites, and those of two or more races who carry the "Toussaint" surname decreased by 16.98, 24.42, and 66.90 percent respectively. The American Indian and Alaskan Native demographic showed a slight uptick, at 58.33 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 64.53% | 73.86% | 14.46% |
| White | 27.15% | 20.52% | -24.42% |
| Hispanic | 1.86% | 3.06% | 64.52% |
| Two or More Races | 5.8% | 1.92% | -66.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.44% | -16.98% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.12% | 0.19% | 58.33% |
Toussaint 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 Toussaint is French & German, which comprises 25.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (22.3%) and Nigerian (14.8%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Spanish & Portuguese, Angolan & Congolese, Italian, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 25.4% |
| British & Irish | 22.3% |
| Nigerian | 14.8% |
| Other | 37.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Toussaint
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 Toussaint have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 39.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 39.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 39.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 39.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 39.80% |
What Toussaint 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 Toussaint is R-M167, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M167 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-P252 and E-M4254, which are predominantly found among people with Sub-Saharan African and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Francois, Jefferson, Antoine, Pierre, Poole, Zambrano, Bey, Dawkins, Washington, Isaac.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Toussaint surname are: N, U2_3_4_7_8_9, 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 Toussaint 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.
"Toussaint" Surname 50.0%
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.
"Toussaint" Surname 36.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Kinesthetic Learner
Preferring to learn and process information through hands-on activities, practical experiences, and active engagement.
"Toussaint" Surname 53.3%
23andMe Users 61.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Toussaint" Surname 16.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Toussaint?
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 Toussaint are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition