Explore the Family Name Travis
The meaning of Travis
1. English (mainly Lancashire and Yorkshire): from Old French and Middle English travers, also Middle English travas, travis, a word with several meanings. It may denote a toll paid for the right to cross a boundary or bridge, the surname perhaps being for someone who paid or collected such tolls. Alternatively, it may mean ‘crosswise, sideways’ or ‘dispute, disagreement’. The Old French word also had the sense ‘crossing, passage’, and it is more than likely that the surname is Norman in origin, for someone who lived at a crossing place or at a place so named (compare French Travers 3). The presence of the preposition ‘de’ (and perhaps also ‘le’) in early forms of the surname appears to indicate a topographic or habitational explanation, but the French preposition and definite article were sometimes added gratuitously to Norman surnames as a sign of their high social status. See also Travers 1. 2. Americanized form of German Drewes.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Travis in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Travis saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname Travis dropped from 960 to 998, a change of -3.96%. However, the count of individuals with this surname actually increased by 4.94%, growing from 33,339 to 34,985. Meanwhile, the proportion of Travis per 100,000 people slightly declined from 12.36 to 11.86, marking a decrease of -4.05%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #960 | #998 | -3.96% |
| Count | 33,339 | 34,985 | 4.94% |
| Proportion per 100k | 12.36 | 11.86 | -4.05% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Travis
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Travis also experienced shifts during the same period, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. For those identifying as White, there was a minor decrease from 76.04% to 73.32%. On the other hand, all other ethnicities showed an increase. The highest increase was noted among those who identified with two or more races, which surged by 52.41%, followed by Hispanic ethnicity that grew by 51.90%. The percentage of those identifying as Black rose slightly from 20.02% to 21.01%. Similarly, Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities both saw increases, rising to 0.52% and 0.53% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 76.04% | 73.32% | -3.58% |
| Black | 20.02% | 21.01% | 4.95% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 2.4% | 51.9% |
| Two or More Races | 1.45% | 2.21% | 52.41% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.42% | 0.53% | 26.19% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0.52% | 6.12% |
Travis 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 Travis is British & Irish, which comprises 51.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.8%) and Eastern European (4.9%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Nigerian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.0% |
| French & German | 22.8% |
| Eastern European | 4.9% |
| Other | 21.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Travis
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 Travis have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 83.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.50% |
What Travis 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 Travis is R-S14328, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S14328 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-Z159, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Barr, Wilkinson, Munson, Ruff, Webb, Baker, Andrews, Mathews, Walker, Turner.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Travis 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 Travis 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.
"Travis" Surname 41.8%
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.
"Travis" Surname 25.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Travis" Surname 25.2%
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.
"Travis" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Travis?
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 Travis are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition