Explore the Family Name Wahl
The meaning of Wahl
1. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German Walhe, Walch ‘foreigner from a Romance country’, hence a nickname for someone from Italy or France, etc. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine), Sweden, and Denmark. 2. North German: from the personal name Wole, a short form of Wol(d)er (see Wahler). 3. Norwegian: habitational name from any of several farmsteads named Val, from Old Norse vathill ‘ford’, denoting shallow water, for example in a bay or strait.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wahl in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Wahl has seen a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 2574 to 2716, a change of -5.52%. However, the actual count of individuals with the Wahl surname increased by 2.47% over the same period, with 13,253 people identified in 2010 compared to 12,933 in 2000. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 also decreased slightly, from 4.79 in 2000 to 4.49 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,574 | #2,716 | -5.52% |
| Count | 12,933 | 13,253 | 2.47% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.79 | 4.49 | -6.26% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wahl
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Wahl surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals identifying as Wahl are of White ethnicity, accounting for 94.50% in 2010, a minor decrease from 95.62% in 2000. The proportion of individuals of Hispanic ethnicity and Black ethnicity showed notable increases, from 1.44% to 2.26% and 0.43% to 0.66% respectively. Conversely, the proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased marginally from 0.90% to 1.05%, while those identifying with two or more races saw a small decrease, from 1.26% to 1.21%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic group also saw a minor decrease from 0.36% to 0.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.62% | 94.5% | -1.17% |
| Hispanic | 1.44% | 2.26% | 56.94% |
| Two or More Races | 1.26% | 1.21% | -3.97% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.9% | 1.05% | 16.67% |
| Black | 0.43% | 0.66% | 53.49% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.36% | 0.33% | -8.33% |
Wahl 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 Wahl is French & German, which comprises 33.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (32.8%) and Scandinavian (9.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 33.3% |
| British & Irish | 32.8% |
| Scandinavian | 9.3% |
| Other | 24.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Wahl
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 Wahl have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 72.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 72.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 72.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 72.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 72.40% |
What Wahl 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 Wahl is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS9219 and R-L23, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Miller, Bauer, Klein, Young, Meyers, Weber, Smith, Schafer, Kline, Fischer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Wahl 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 Wahl 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.
"Wahl" Surname 39.5%
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.
"Wahl" Surname 29.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Wahl" Surname 25.7%
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.
"Wahl" Surname 17.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Wahl?
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 Wahl are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition