Explore the Family Name Waller
The meaning of Waller
1. English: occupational name from Middle English waler, waliere, walour, waller ‘builder of walls, mason’. 2. English: in Sussex, perhaps a topographic name for someone who lived by a prominent wall. 3. English: topographic name for someone who lived by a spring, stream, or man-made well, from Middle English waller, a derivative of Middle English walle, Old English wælle, wælle. It is a West Midlands dialect form of Weller. 4. South German: nickname from Middle High German wallære ‘traveler, roamer, pilgrim’. 5. Swedish (rarely Wallér): topographic or ornamental name composed of a variant of the element vall ‘grassy bank, pasture’ (see Wall) + the suffix -er (from German) or -ér (a derivative of Latin -erius). History: Col. John Waller came from England to VA c.1635. The name was brought to North America by several other bearers independently.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Waller in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Waller has slightly decreased in rank from 904 in 2000 to 942 in 2010, representing a 4.2 percent decline. However, the total count of individuals with the Waller surname increased by 5.15 percent, growing from 35,001 in 2000 to 36,805 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also slightly decreased from 12.97 in 2000 to 12.48 in 2010, a 3.78 percent drop.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #904 | #942 | -4.2% |
| Count | 35,001 | 36,805 | 5.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 12.97 | 12.48 | -3.78% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Waller
The Decennial U.S. Census data also reveals changes in the ethnic identity associated with the Waller surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Wallers identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw modest increases at 18.42 percent and 23.08 percent respectively. Those identifying as having two or more races and Hispanic ethnicity also saw significant growth at 38.16 percent and 72.22 percent respectively. The proportion of Wallers identifying as Black slightly increased from 24.64 percent in 2000 to 25.15 percent in 2010, while those identifying as White saw a small decrease from 71.82 percent to 69.64 percent over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.82% | 69.64% | -3.04% |
| Black | 24.64% | 25.15% | 2.07% |
| Hispanic | 1.26% | 2.17% | 72.22% |
| Two or More Races | 1.52% | 2.1% | 38.16% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.39% | 0.48% | 23.08% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.45% | 18.42% |
Waller 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 Waller is British & Irish, which comprises 51.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.9%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Nigerian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Italian.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.5% |
| French & German | 20.9% |
| Scandinavian | 4.4% |
| Other | 23.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Waller
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 Waller have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.50% |
What Waller 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 Waller 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-Z150 and I-Z138, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Powell, West, Davis, Hill, Perry, Williams, Harrison, Wade, Turner, Wright.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Waller 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 Waller 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.
"Waller" Surname 41.9%
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.
"Waller" Surname 26.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Waller" Surname 20.8%
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.
"Waller" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Waller?
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 Waller are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition