Explore the Family Name Urban
The meaning of Urban
German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Slovenian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, English, French, and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic); Hungarian (Urbán): from a personal name, Latin Urbanus ‘city dweller’ (a derivative of urbs ‘town, city’), borne by a 4th-century Christian saint, the patron saint of vines, and by seven early popes. As a Jewish surname, this is an adoption of the Polish personal name. In North America, this surname may also be a shortened form of Slavic patronymics and other derivatives from the name Urban, e.g. Polish Urbanczyk and Urbanowicz, Slovenian Urbančič (see Urbancic) and Urbanič (see Urbanic).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Urban in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Urban experienced a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Urban ranked 1630 among all surnames in the United States, with approximately 20,117 individuals bearing this name. By 2010, the rank had dropped to 1790 and the count slightly decreased to 20,058 individuals, marking a change of -9.82 in rank and -0.29 in count. The proportion of the population with this surname per 100,000 individuals also decreased by 8.85, from 7.46 in 2000 to 6.8 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,630 | #1,790 | -9.82% |
| Count | 20,117 | 20,058 | -0.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.46 | 6.8 | -8.85% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Urban
Regarding ethnicity as per the Decennial U.S. Census, the data indicates shifts in the distribution for the surname Urban between 2000 and 2010. The largest ethnic identity associated with the Urban surname was White, representing 93.71% in 2000, which slightly decreased to 91.96% in 2010. Meanwhile, there were increases in other ethnic categories. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation increased by 59.26%, Hispanic by 26.64%, Black by 37.04%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native by 40.91%. The category of "Two or more races" also saw a minor increase of 8.54% during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.71% | 91.96% | -1.87% |
| Hispanic | 4.43% | 5.61% | 26.64% |
| Two or More Races | 0.82% | 0.89% | 8.54% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.86% | 59.26% |
| Black | 0.27% | 0.37% | 37.04% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.22% | 0.31% | 40.91% |
Urban 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 Urban is British & Irish, which comprises 27.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.9%) and Eastern European (25.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 27.6% |
| French & German | 26.9% |
| Eastern European | 25.0% |
| Other | 20.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Urban
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 Urban have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 62.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 62.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 62.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 61.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 61.60% |
What Urban 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 Urban is R-M417, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M417 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-L1029 and R-CTS3402, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Novak, Schultz, Richter, Toth, Krause, Schulz, Krueger, Nowak, Schmidt, Kaminski.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Urban surname are: T2b, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Urban 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.
"Urban" Surname 37.4%
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.
"Urban" Surname 22.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Urban" Surname 20.2%
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.
"Urban" Surname 19.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Urban?
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 Urban are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition