Explore the Family Name Ayer
The meaning of Ayer
1. English and Scottish: from Middle English eir, eyr ‘heir’ (Anglo-Norman French heyr, Old French (h)eir, Latin heres). Forms such as Richard le Heyer were frequent in Middle English, denoting a man who was well known to be the heir to the main property in a particular locality, either one who had already inherited or one with great expectations. 2. English: from the Anglo-Norman French and Middle English personal name Aier (ancient Germanic Agihari). 3. English: variant of Hair.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ayer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Ayer saw a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Ayer ranked 8968 in terms of commonality among U.S. surnames, with 3353 individuals carrying this name. By 2010, it dropped to a rank of 9520, an adjustment of -6.16%. However, the actual count of people with the Ayer surname rose slightly to 3415, representing a growth of 1.85%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,968 | #9,520 | -6.16% |
| Count | 3,353 | 3,415 | 1.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.24 | 1.16 | -6.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ayer
In terms of ethnicity, the distribution associated with the surname Ayer also underwent changes from 2000 to 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest ethnic group remained those identifying as White, despite their proportion decreasing by 5.44% to 87.29%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander notably increased by 207.82%, standing at 5.51% in 2010. The percentage of people identifying as Two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw increases, albeit at smaller rates.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.31% | 87.29% | -5.44% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.79% | 5.51% | 207.82% |
| Hispanic | 2.42% | 3.48% | 43.8% |
| Black | 2% | 2.11% | 5.5% |
| Two or More Races | 1.22% | 1.29% | 5.74% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.27% | 0.32% | 18.52% |
Ayer 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 Ayer is British & Irish, which comprises 52.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.3%) and Southern Indian Subgroup (4.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.1% |
| French & German | 20.3% |
| Southern Indian Subgroup | 4.9% |
| Other | 22.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Ayer
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 Ayer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 82.90% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
What Ayer 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 Ayer is R-Z278, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z278 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dehaven, Smock, Cardinal, Bowker, Crowder, Maestas, Towne, Elkins, Bogue, Colon.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ayer surname are: H1, H, K1. 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 Ayer 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.
"Ayer" 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.
"Ayer" Surname 40.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ayer" Surname 20.4%
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.
"Ayer" Surname 23.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ayer?
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 Ayer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition