Explore the Family Name Townley
The meaning of Townley
English (Lancashire): habitational name from Towneley near Burnley in Lancashire, which is named with Middle English toun(e), ton(e) ‘town, village, settlement’ (Old English tūn) + leie ‘glade, clearing’. The surname has also been established in Ireland since the 16th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Townley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Townley has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Townley was ranked as the 7826th most common surname and this rank fell by 7.16% to 8386 in 2010. However, the actual count of individuals bearing the Townley name increased slightly from 3921 in 2000 to 3947 in 2010, showing an increase of 0.66%. The proportion per 100k people with this surname also saw a decrease of 7.59%, going from 1.45 in 2000 to 1.34 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,826 | #8,386 | -7.16% |
| Count | 3,921 | 3,947 | 0.66% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.45 | 1.34 | -7.59% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Townley
Talking about the ethnicity associated with the surname Townley, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, there has been a slight shift over the 10-year period from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the dominant ethnic identity associated with the Townley surname was White at 93.29%, which saw a marginal decrease of 0.09% to 93.21% in 2010. There was no recorded percentage for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, but by 2010, these groups accounted for 0.25% and 0.99% respectively. The percentage of those identifying as two or more races slightly decreased by 7.73% during this time frame. There was a significant increase in the percentage of the Hispanic group, which went up by 31.11% while the Black group decreased by 20.15%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.29% | 93.21% | -0.09% |
| Black | 2.63% | 2.1% | -20.15% |
| Hispanic | 1.35% | 1.77% | 31.11% |
| Two or More Races | 1.81% | 1.67% | -7.73% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.99% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.25% | 0% |
Townley 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 Townley is British & Irish, which comprises 60.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.1%) and Eastern European (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Indigenous American, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 60.7% |
| French & German | 20.1% |
| Eastern European | 5.4% |
| Other | 13.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Townley
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 Townley have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
What Townley 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 Townley is R-L238, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L238 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-P109 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Starkey, Stowell, Reedy, Asher, Anderson, Peterson, Abrahamson, Hanson, Falconer, Jensen.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Townley surname are: H1, K1a, 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 Townley 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.
"Townley" Surname 48.9%
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.
"Townley" Surname 34.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Townley" Surname 25.0%
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.
"Townley" Surname 24.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Townley?
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 Townley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition