Explore the Family Name Vale
The meaning of Vale
1. English: of Norman origin, a topographic name for someone who lived ‘(in the) vale or valley’ (Middle English val(e), valle, Old French val ‘valley’), or a habitational name for someone who came from one of the French places called with this word, such as Le Val (Sarthe) or any number of places in and around Normandy called Vaux. Compare Vause. 2. Irish: from Mac Pháil ‘son of Paul’. 3. Irish: variant of Veale. 4. Galician: topographic name from val ‘valley’, or a habitational name from any of the places so called in Galicia and Asturias. Compare Dovale. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Manuel, Abilio, Angel, Fernando, Jose Joel, Miguel, Pedro, Roberto, Adriana, Alberto, Alfredo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Vale in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Vale has seen minor fluctuations over a decade. The rank of the surname dropped slightly from 9,462 in 2000 to 9,728 in 2010, indicating a decrease of 2.81%. Despite this, the count of individuals with the Vale surname increased by 5.74%, from 3,153 in 2000 to 3,334 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also experienced a small reduction of 3.42% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,462 | #9,728 | -2.81% |
| Count | 3,153 | 3,334 | 5.74% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.17 | 1.13 | -3.42% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Vale
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals diverse backgrounds associated with the surname Vale. The largest group identified as White, although their proportion decreased from 64.51% in 2000 to 59.15% in 2010. The Hispanic community saw significant growth, rising from 26.67% in 2000 to 32.51% in 2010. Asian/Pacific Islanders and Blacks also exhibited growth, with an increase of 22.11% and 3.73% respectively. The percentage of those with two or more races decreased dramatically by 45.23%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native representation also declined by 20%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 64.51% | 59.15% | -8.31% |
| Hispanic | 26.67% | 32.51% | 21.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.85% | 3.48% | 22.11% |
| Black | 2.95% | 3.06% | 3.73% |
| Two or More Races | 2.41% | 1.32% | -45.23% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.6% | 0.48% | -20% |
Vale 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 Vale is British & Irish, which comprises 36.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Spanish & Portuguese (21.2%) and French & German (13.8%). Additional ancestries include Indigenous American, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 36.2% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 21.2% |
| French & German | 13.8% |
| Other | 28.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Vale
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 Vale have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 58.90% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 58.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 58.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 58.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 58.90% |
What Vale 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 Vale is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Vale surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your 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 Vale 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.
"Vale" Surname 36.4%
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.
"Vale" Surname 25.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Vale" Surname 22.7%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Vale" Surname 22.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Vale?
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 Vale are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition