Explore the Family Name Wightman
The meaning of Wightman
English and Scottish: nickname from Middle English wight, Older Scots wicht ‘brave, strong; swift, nimble, agile’ (see Wight) + man ‘man’, also used in Middle English as a personal name. It may sometimes have been confused with Whiteman, a variant of Whitman.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wightman in the United States?
The surname Wightman held the rank of 9309 in terms of popularity in the year 2000 according to Decennial U.S. Census data, dropping slightly to 9927 by 2010 - a modest decline of about 6.64%. In 2000, there were 3216 individuals bearing the Wightman surname, increasing slightly to 3252 by 2010, representing a change of 1.12%. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a slight dip, moving from 1.19 in 2000, to 1.1 in 2010, marking a decrease of about 7.56%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,309 | #9,927 | -6.64% |
| Count | 3,216 | 3,252 | 1.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.19 | 1.1 | -7.56% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wightman
On the other hand, the ethnic identity associated with the surname Wightman showed more variation. Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, in 2000, around 95.8% of Wightmans identified as White, falling to 93.7% by 2010. The proportion identifying as Hispanic saw an increase from 1.68% in 2000 to 3.26% in 2010, a significant growth of 94.05%. People bearing the Wightman surname and identifying as Black also increased from 0.47% to 0.74%, a rise of 57.45%. Identification with two or more races saw a surge from 1.12% to 1.45%, signifying a 29.46% increase. Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories both saw a small decline, with Asian/Pacific Islander decreasing by 4.62% and American Indian and Alaskan Native decreasing by 10.71%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.8% | 93.7% | -2.19% |
| Hispanic | 1.68% | 3.26% | 94.05% |
| Two or More Races | 1.12% | 1.45% | 29.46% |
| Black | 0.47% | 0.74% | 57.45% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.65% | 0.62% | -4.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.28% | 0.25% | -10.71% |
Wightman 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 Wightman is British & Irish, which comprises 51.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.6%) and Eastern European (5.3%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.1% |
| French & German | 24.6% |
| Eastern European | 5.3% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Wightman
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 Wightman have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
What Wightman 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 Wightman is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and I-CTS616, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Casteel, Cyr, Maggard, Wampler, Smedley, Stovall, Musick, Macomber, Dodson, Farnsworth.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Wightman surname are: H1, N, 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 Wightman 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.
"Wightman" Surname 52.9%
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.
"Wightman" Surname 25.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Wightman" Surname 15.2%
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.
"Wightman" Surname 17.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Wightman?
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 Wightman are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition