Explore the Family Name Wales
The meaning of Wales
English: 1. habitational name from Wales near Sheffield (South Yorkshire). The placename means ‘The Welshmen’ and denoted a settlement of Brittonic speakers living on the boundary between the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria and Mercia (from Old English wēalas, walas, plural of walh, wealh, originally meaning ‘Roman citizen’ and referring to the native British population, but in Old English this term later came to mean ‘serf, unfree person, foreigner’ or ‘Welshman’). See also Wallis. 2. habitational name from Wales, the country named from Old English wēalas ‘foreigners’ (especially those speaking Celtic or Romance languages). This meaning of the surname is quite rare. 3. (of Norman origin): from the Anglo-Norman French personal name Wales (see Wale and compare Gales). 4. (of Norman origin): variant of Wale, with post-medieval excrescent -s. 5. (of Norman origin): variant of Wallis. History: Nathaniel Wales came from Yorkshire, England, to Boston, MA, in 1635.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wales in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Wales" saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 6295th most popular surname, whilst by 2010, it had slipped down the rank to become the 6602nd most common name, marking a decrease of 4.88%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname "Wales" increased from 4983 in 2000 to 5133 in 2010, an increase of 3.01%. However, the proportion of people with the Wales surname per 100,000 people decreased by 5.95% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,295 | #6,602 | -4.88% |
| Count | 4,983 | 5,133 | 3.01% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.85 | 1.74 | -5.95% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wales
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Wales" also evolved between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of those identifying as White decreased slightly from 89.70% to 88.04%. Meanwhile, there were increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 1.02% to 1.27%), Hispanic (from 1.87% to 2.30%), Black (from 5.76% to 6.10%), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (from 0.44% to 0.45%). The group that saw the biggest change was those identifying with two or more races - their percentage increased from 1.20% to 1.85%, marking a significant rise of 54.17%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.7% | 88.04% | -1.85% |
| Black | 5.76% | 6.1% | 5.9% |
| Hispanic | 1.87% | 2.3% | 22.99% |
| Two or More Races | 1.2% | 1.85% | 54.17% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.02% | 1.27% | 24.51% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.45% | 2.27% |
Wales 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 Wales is British & Irish, which comprises 60.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.1%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 60.0% |
| French & German | 20.1% |
| Scandinavian | 4.4% |
| Other | 15.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Wales
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 Wales have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 92.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 92.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 92.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.40% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 91.40% |
What Wales 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 Wales 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-CTS241 and I-CTS6433, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nagle, Robb, Ash, Robert, Simons, Hewitt, Bullen, Powell, Luke, Chevalier.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Wales 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 Wales 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.
"Wales" Surname 40.4%
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.
"Wales" Surname 22.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Wales" Surname 18.8%
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.
"Wales" Surname 16.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Wales?
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 Wales are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition