Explore the Family Name Walker
The meaning of Walker
English (mainly North and Midlands) and Scottish: occupational name for a fuller, from Middle English walker, Old English wealcere (an agent derivative of wealcan ‘to walk, tread’), ‘one who trampled cloth in a bath of lye or kneaded it, in order to strengthen it’. This was the regular term for the occupation during the Middle Ages in western and northern England. Compare Fuller and Tucker. As a Scottish surname it has also been used as a translation of Gaelic Mac an Fhucadair ‘son of the fuller’. This surname is also very common among African Americans. History: The name was brought to North America from northern England and Scotland independently by many different bearers in the 17th and 18th centuries. Samuel Walker came to Lynn, MA, c.1630; Philip Walker was in Rehoboth, MA, in or before 1643. The surname was also established in VA before 1650; a Thomas Walker, born in 1715 in King and Queen County, VA, was a physician, soldier, and explorer.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Walker in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Walker showed a slight variation in popularity between the years of 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Walker was the 28th most common surname; however, by 2010 it had slightly declined in popularity, ranking at number 31. This represents a 10.71% decrease in its rank. Despite this slight dip in popularity, the total number of people with the surname Walker actually increased from 501,307 to 523,129, a growth rate of 4.35%. As a proportion per 100,000 people, Walkers made up 185.83 individuals in 2000, while this figure fell slightly to 177.34 in 2010, a decrease of 4.57%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28 | #31 | -10.71% |
| Count | 501,307 | 523,129 | 4.35% |
| Proportion per 100k | 185.83 | 177.34 | -4.57% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Walker
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Walker between the years 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Walkers identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew from 0.35% to 0.45%, an increase of 28.57%. Those reporting two or more ethnicities also increased, rising from 1.80% to 2.55%, a significant jump of 41.67%. The percentage identifying as White decreased from 61.25% to 58.66%, a drop of 4.23%. The Hispanic population of Walkers rose from 1.60% to 2.41%, a dramatic increase of 50.63%. Those identifying as Black saw a subtle increase from 34.17% to 35.05%, a growth rate of 2.58%. Lastly, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native comprised 0.83% of Walkers in 2000, rising marginally to 0.87% in 2010, a 4.82% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 61.25% | 58.66% | -4.23% |
| Black | 34.17% | 35.05% | 2.58% |
| Two or More Races | 1.8% | 2.55% | 41.67% |
| Hispanic | 1.6% | 2.41% | 50.63% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.83% | 0.87% | 4.82% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.45% | 28.57% |
Walker 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 Walker is British & Irish, which comprises 52.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.7%) and Nigerian (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.3% |
| French & German | 20.7% |
| Nigerian | 4.7% |
| Other | 22.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Walker
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 Walker have recent ancestry locations all within United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 83.10% |
What Walker 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 Walker 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-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Taylor, Smith, Thompson, Brown, White, Wilson, Thomas, Clark, Williams, Robinson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Walker surname are: T2b, H1, 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 Walker 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.
"Walker" Surname 40.8%
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.
"Walker" Surname 28.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Walker" Surname 23.0%
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.
"Walker" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Walker?
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 Walker are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition