Explore the Family Name Walden
The meaning of Walden
1. English: habitational name from Kings Walden and Saint Pauls Walden (Hertfordshire), Saffron Waldon (Essex), Waldon in Milton Damerel (Devon), and Walden (North Yorkshire). The placenames derives from Old English walh ‘foreigner, Briton, serf’ (genitive plural wala) + denu ‘valley’. 2. German: patronymic from Wald 3. 3. Americanized form of Norwegian Wolden or Volden.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Walden in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Walden has seen a minor fluctuation in its popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 1343 and rose to 1435 by 2010, indicating a decrease in popularity by 6.85%. However, the actual count of people with this surname increased slightly by 2.9%, from 24,122 in 2000 to 24,821 in 2010. This indicates that while fewer new families took on the name, those who had it continued to grow. The proportion per 100k people also declined by 5.93%, from 8.94 in 2000 to 8.41 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,343 | #1,435 | -6.85% |
| Count | 24,122 | 24,821 | 2.9% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.94 | 8.41 | -5.93% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Walden
The ethnicity distribution of the surname Walden also saw some changes between 2000 and 2010, as shown by Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Waldens identifying as White decreased slightly, from 79.75% to 78.14%. Meanwhile, the number of Waldens identifying as Black saw a modest increase, from 15.75% to 16.36%. Hispanic representation also grew, from 1.43% to 1.92%, representing the largest percent change at 34.27%. Smaller increases were seen among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.49% to 0.54%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (from 0.86% to 1.03%). Finally, people of two or more ethnic identities increased from 1.73% to 2.00%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.75% | 78.14% | -2.02% |
| Black | 15.75% | 16.36% | 3.87% |
| Two or More Races | 1.73% | 2% | 15.61% |
| Hispanic | 1.43% | 1.92% | 34.27% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.86% | 1.03% | 19.77% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0.54% | 10.2% |
Walden 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 Walden is British & Irish, which comprises 57.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.9%) and Scandinavian (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Nigerian, Italian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.3% |
| French & German | 19.9% |
| Scandinavian | 4.3% |
| Other | 18.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Walden
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 Walden have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
What Walden 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 Walden is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-Z2961, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Cameron, Rees, Johnstone, Watters, Griffiths, Gibbons, Pritchard, Gee, Howe, Mccarthy.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Walden 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 Walden 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.
"Walden" Surname 44.0%
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.
"Walden" Surname 26.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Walden" Surname 26.6%
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.
"Walden" Surname 19.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Walden?
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 Walden are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition