Explore the Family Name Weeks
The meaning of Weeks
1. English: variant of Wicks. 2. Americanized form of Norwegian and Swedish Vik. History: This surname was brought to North America independently by several different bearers in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the earliest on record is Leonard Weeks, who emigrated from Somerset, England, to Portsmouth, NH, some time before 1656. — William Weeks, recorded in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, MA, from 1653 onward, was probably a cousin or other relative of the John Wickes mentioned at Wickes.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Weeks in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Weeks" has seen a slight decline in rank from 764 in 2000 to 831 in 2010. This represents an 8.77% decrease over the decade. Despite the drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Weeks surname increased marginally by 1.25% from 41,053 to 41,565. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, the presence of the surname Weeks dropped by 7.42% from 15.22 in 2000 to 14.09 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #764 | #831 | -8.77% |
| Count | 41,053 | 41,565 | 1.25% |
| Proportion per 100k | 15.22 | 14.09 | -7.42% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Weeks
Turning towards ethnic identity, again referencing data from the Decennial U.S. Census, there have been some shifts in the distribution for the surname Weeks between 2000 and 2010. Notably, those identifying as Hispanic saw the largest increase at 49.39%, albeit from a relatively small base of 1.64% to 2.45%. There was also a notable rise among those reporting two or more races (28.37%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.24%). The proportion of individuals identified as White saw a slight decrease from 86.04% to 84.38%, while the percentage of Black individuals increased slightly from 9.64% to 9.97%. Individuals identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw a mild increase from 0.78% to 0.84%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.04% | 84.38% | -1.93% |
| Black | 9.64% | 9.97% | 3.42% |
| Hispanic | 1.64% | 2.45% | 49.39% |
| Two or More Races | 1.41% | 1.81% | 28.37% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.78% | 0.84% | 7.69% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0.55% | 12.24% |
Weeks 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 Weeks is British & Irish, which comprises 55.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.9%) and Scandinavian (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.2% |
| French & German | 23.9% |
| Scandinavian | 4.2% |
| Other | 16.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Weeks
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 Weeks have recent ancestry locations all within United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.90% |
What Weeks 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 Weeks is R-L1066.1, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L1066.1 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S3933 and I-Y4760, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Osborne, Adams, May, Chapman, Osborn, Smith, Gregory, Clark, Mitchell, Taylor.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Weeks surname are: H3, H, H1. 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 Weeks 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.
"Weeks" Surname 45.2%
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.
"Weeks" Surname 26.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Weeks" Surname 24.1%
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.
"Weeks" Surname 17.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Weeks?
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 Weeks are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition