Explore the Family Name Worsham
The meaning of Worsham
English: habitational name from either of two places called Worsham, in Oxfordshire and Sussex. The first is named from the Old English personal name Wulfmǣr + hām ‘homestead’ or hamm ‘enclosure hemmed in by water’; the second is from an unattested Old English personal name Wyrtel + hā.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Worsham in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Worsham appears to have slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 5575th in terms of prevalence, but by 2010, it had dropped to 6091st, a decline of approximately 9.26%. The actual count of individuals with this surname also saw a marginal decrease from 5717 in 2000 to 5631 in 2010, representing a fall of about 1.5%. The proportion of the Worsham surname per 100,000 people similarly declined by nearly 10% over this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,575 | #6,091 | -9.26% |
| Count | 5,717 | 5,631 | -1.5% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.12 | 1.91 | -9.91% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Worsham
Looking at the ethnicity associated with the surname Worsham, the Decennial U.S. Census data highlights some changes between 2000 and 2010. The largest percentage identifying as White dropped slightly from around 82% to just under 80%. Those identifying as Black saw a modest increase, moving from 13.42% to 14.47%. There was a significant rise among those identifying as Hispanic, going from 1.33% to 2.15%, which represents an increase of 61.65%. Individuals reporting Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity also increased from 0.66% to 0.96%, showing a 45.45% jump. Those identifying with two or more races rose from 1.84% to 1.94%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a slight decrease from 0.82% to 0.75%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 81.93% | 79.74% | -2.67% |
| Black | 13.42% | 14.47% | 7.82% |
| Hispanic | 1.33% | 2.15% | 61.65% |
| Two or More Races | 1.84% | 1.94% | 5.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.66% | 0.96% | 45.45% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.82% | 0.75% | -8.54% |
Worsham 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 Worsham is British & Irish, which comprises 62.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.5%) and Scandinavian (3.1%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Eastern European, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 62.6% |
| French & German | 19.5% |
| Scandinavian | 3.1% |
| Other | 14.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Worsham
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 Worsham have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
What Worsham 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 Worsham is I-L1198, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L1198 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-M223 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Chipman, Pogue, Pollock, Sperry, Leatherman, Bostwick, Church, Polk, Bowden, Day.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Worsham surname are: H1, H, U5a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your 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 Worsham 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.
"Worsham" Surname 47.4%
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.
"Worsham" Surname 42.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Worsham" Surname 22.2%
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.
"Worsham" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Worsham?
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 Worsham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition