Explore the Family Name Wakefield
The meaning of Wakefield
English: habitational name from the city of Wakefield in Yorkshire and from Wakefield Lawn in Potterspury (Northamptonshire). Both are named from the Old English personal name Waca or Old English wacu ‘wake, festival’ + feld ‘open country’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wakefield in the United States?
According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the Wakefield surname has slightly decreased in the United States over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 2,360th most popular, but it slipped to 2,472nd by 2010, a decrease of 4.75%. However, the actual count of people with this surname increased by 3.76% during the same period, going from 14,058 to 14,587. This discrepancy might be explained by an overall growth in population, which diluted the proportion of Wakefields per 100,000 people from 5.21 to 4.95, marking a 4.99% decline.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,360 | #2,472 | -4.75% |
| Count | 14,058 | 14,587 | 3.76% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.21 | 4.95 | -4.99% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wakefield
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts within the Wakefield surname bearers between 2000 and 2010. The largest percentage increase was seen among those identifying as Hispanic, which rose by 44.52%. The Asian/Pacific Islander group also saw considerable growth of 31.67%, followed by those of Two or more races, who saw a 24.71% increase. Meanwhile, groups that identify as White or American Indian and Alaskan Native saw slight decreases of 2.57% and 13.11%, respectively. Black ethnicity representation increased modestly, with a rise of 7.20% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83% | 80.87% | -2.57% |
| Black | 12.5% | 13.4% | 7.2% |
| Hispanic | 1.55% | 2.24% | 44.52% |
| Two or More Races | 1.74% | 2.17% | 24.71% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.6% | 0.79% | 31.67% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.61% | 0.53% | -13.11% |
Wakefield 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 Wakefield is British & Irish, which comprises 51.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.6%) and Scandinavian (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.3% |
| French & German | 23.6% |
| Scandinavian | 5.5% |
| Other | 19.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Wakefield
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 Wakefield have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
What Wakefield 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 Wakefield is R-S18632, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S18632 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Jeffery, Earl, Earle, Stubbs, Mathias, Croft, Webber, Jeffrey, Odom, Dick.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Wakefield surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
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 Wakefield 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.
"Wakefield" Surname 40.2%
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.
"Wakefield" Surname 21.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Wakefield" Surname 22.8%
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.
"Wakefield" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Wakefield?
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 Wakefield are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition