Explore the Family Name Wayne
The meaning of Wayne
1. English: metonymic occupational name for someone who drove a wagon or who built wagons, from Middle English wain ‘wagon’ (Old English wægen). Compare Wainer and Wainwright. 2. English (North Yorkshire): occasionally a variant of Walwyn or Wawne, a habitational name from Wawne in the East Yorkshire. The placename may derive from Old English wagen ‘quagmire’. 3. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 黃, see Huang 1. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 榮, see Rong 4. History: Anthony Wayne and his son Isaac, of English ancestry, came from Ireland to Chester County, PA, c.1724. General Anthony Wayne (1745–96), born in Waynesboro, PA, was a prominent military officer in the American Revolution.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wayne in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Wayne' has experienced a minor dip between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 3280th most popular surname with a count of 10,020 individuals bearing this name. By 2010, despite an increase in the number of people carrying this surname to 10,215, its rank had dropped slightly to 3498th indicating a change of -6.65%. The proportion per 100k also declined by approximately 6.74%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,280 | #3,498 | -6.65% |
| Count | 10,020 | 10,215 | 1.95% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.71 | 3.46 | -6.74% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wayne
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Wayne'. In 2000, the majority of the population identified as White (78.85%), followed by Black (15.66%). By 2010, while these two groups still constituted the majority, their proportions had decreased a bit to 76.89% and 16.41% respectively. Meanwhile, those identifying as Hispanic or having two or more races saw significant increases of 38.37% and 45.58% respectively. The Asian/Pacific Islander group saw a marginal increase from 1.02% to 1.03%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native group experienced a decrease from 1.29% to 1.16%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.85% | 76.89% | -2.49% |
| Black | 15.66% | 16.41% | 4.79% |
| Hispanic | 1.72% | 2.38% | 38.37% |
| Two or More Races | 1.47% | 2.14% | 45.58% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.29% | 1.16% | -10.08% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.02% | 1.03% | 0.98% |
Wayne 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 Wayne is British & Irish, which comprises 36.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.2%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (11.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 36.7% |
| French & German | 20.2% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 11.7% |
| Other | 31.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Wayne
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 Wayne have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 64.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 64.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 64.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 64.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 64.10% |
What Wayne 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 Wayne 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-S660 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Grey, Fox, Lang, Thompson, Green, Cooper, Smith, Kline, Doe, Nicholas.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Wayne surname are: H1, H3, 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 Wayne 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.
"Wayne" Surname 35.7%
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.
"Wayne" Surname 26.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Wayne" Surname 19.0%
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.
"Wayne" Surname 16.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Wayne?
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 Wayne are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition