Explore the Family Name Trahan
The meaning of Trahan
French: variant of Trahant or Trahand (and, in North America, an altered form of the former), a metonymic occupational name for a silkworker who drew out the thread from the cocoons, from a derivative of the verb traire ‘to draw or stretch’. Compare Strong. History: The LA branches of the Trahan family trace their descent from Guillaume Trahan, from Montreuil-Bellay in Maine-et-Loire, France, who arrived in Acadia in the 17th century; he married Madeleine Brun in Port-Royal in Acadia (now Annapolis Royal in NS, Canada), c.1666. At the time of the expulsion of the Acadians (1755–64), his numerous descendants were deported and finally settled principally in the Attakapas country of LA. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Marcel, Monique, Pierre, Leonce, Lucien, Alcide, Cecile, Emile, Adrien, Camille.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Trahan in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Trahan experienced a slight shift in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 2,419th most popular surname in the U.S., but by 2010, it slipped to 2,560th place, representing a decrease of 5.83%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the surname Trahan rose from 13,733 in 2000 to 14,114 in 2010, suggesting a growth rate of 2.77%. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased during this period, going down by 6.09%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,419 | #2,560 | -5.83% |
| Count | 13,733 | 14,114 | 2.77% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.09 | 4.78 | -6.09% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Trahan
Regarding ethnicity distribution, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals a varying degree of changes between 2000 and 2010. For individuals carrying the surname Trahan, those identifying as White remained the majority, though their percentage slightly dropped from 87.60% to 85.94%. On the other hand, those identifying as Hispanic saw the biggest increase, moving from 1.41% to 2.18%, which is a significant 54.61% change. Meanwhile, the percentage of Black individuals increased modestly from 8.75% to 9.10%. Other minor shifts were noticed among Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian and Alaskan Natives who saw their representation grow by 25.00% and 15.49% respectively. Those identifying with two or more races also witnessed an increase, moving up from 1.08% to 1.42%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.6% | 85.94% | -1.89% |
| Black | 8.75% | 9.1% | 4% |
| Hispanic | 1.41% | 2.18% | 54.61% |
| Two or More Races | 1.08% | 1.42% | 31.48% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.71% | 0.82% | 15.49% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.55% | 25% |
Trahan 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 Trahan is French & German, which comprises 40.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (35.6%) and Spanish & Portuguese (9.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Indigenous American, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 40.3% |
| British & Irish | 35.6% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 9.7% |
| Other | 14.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Trahan
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 Trahan have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 70.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 70.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 70.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 69.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 69.70% |
What Trahan 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 Trahan is R-Z2186, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z2186 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and E-P179, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mcinerney, Lessard, Bristol, Herring, Ireland, Boland, Holland, O'Brien, Black, Obrien.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Trahan surname are: H1, T2b, 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 Trahan 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.
"Trahan" Surname 46.8%
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.
"Trahan" Surname 32.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Trahan" Surname 37.3%
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.
"Trahan" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Trahan?
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 Trahan are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition