Explore the Family Name Bahr
The meaning of Bahr
1. North German: from Middle Low German bar(e) ‘bear’, hence a nickname for someone thought to resemble the animal, a metonymic occupational name for someone who kept a performing bear, or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a bear. In some cases it may derive from a personal name containing this element. 2. German (Bähr): variant of Baer 1, a cognate of 1 above, of Middle High German origin. Compare Baehr 1 and Bar 2. 3. Jewish (Ashkenazic; Bähr): variant of Baer 2. Compare Baehr 2. 4. Germanized form (Bähr) of Sorbian Běr: from a short form of the Old Sorbian personal name Běrisław (based on the Old Slavic imperative beri ‘collect’). Compare Baehr 3. 5. Muslim (mainly Egypt): from Arabic baḥr ‘sea’. This word is used in composite epithets such as Baḥr al-ʿUlūm ‘sea of knowledge’, a delightful nickname for a scholar, and the surname might have originated from such use. Some characteristic forenames: German Claas, Erwin, Gunter, Otto, Hans, Eberhard, Ewald, Florian, Frieda, Fritz, Gerhard, Heinz.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bahr in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Bahr" has seen a slight decrease in its rank from 4318 in 2000 to 4589 in 2010, indicating a change of -6.28%. However, the count of individuals carrying this surname has shown a marginal increase, rising from 7610 in 2000 to 7731 in 2010, reflecting an increase of 1.59%. The proportion per 100k of the population also saw a minor decrease from 2.82 in 2000 to 2.62 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,318 | #4,589 | -6.28% |
| Count | 7,610 | 7,731 | 1.59% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.82 | 2.62 | -7.09% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bahr
The ethnicity breakdown of individuals with the surname "Bahr", as per the Decennial U.S. Census, shows a majority identifying as White, albeit seeing a slight decrease from 94.48% in 2000 to 92.96% in 2010. There's been a significant increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, with changes of 65.52% and 63.64% respectively. The proportion of individuals identifying as Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native has also increased by 16.38% and 18.95% respectively. Meanwhile, there is a noticeable increase in people identifying with two or more races, going up by 44.12% from 2000 to 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.48% | 92.96% | -1.61% |
| Hispanic | 2.93% | 3.41% | 16.38% |
| Two or More Races | 1.02% | 1.47% | 44.12% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.95% | 1.13% | 18.95% |
| Black | 0.33% | 0.54% | 63.64% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.29% | 0.48% | 65.52% |
Bahr 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 Bahr is British & Irish, which comprises 34.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (32.4%) and Scandinavian (10.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 34.8% |
| French & German | 32.4% |
| Scandinavian | 10.7% |
| Other | 22.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Bahr
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 Bahr have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 78.20% |
What Bahr 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 Bahr is J-M304, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M304 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Neumann, Gaspar, Horne, Seidel, Harman, Aguiar, Miller, Turner, Fischer, Walther.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bahr surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304
Your paternal lineage may be linked to some of the first farmers
It was in the heart of the Middle East, soon after the Ice Age drew to a close 12,500 years ago, that humans first learned to domesticate cereals and livestock and completely transformed their way of life. They began to live more sedentary lives in closer proximity to one another. With greater resources, cultures in the Fertile Crescent made technological advances more rapidly than ever before. Farming was such a successful strategy that populations boomed, sparking waves of migration into Europe about 8,000 years ago. Men bearing haplogroup J were among the drivers of this innovation, and were also among the first waves to spread the new technology across the continents.
Your 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 Bahr 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.
"Bahr" Surname 39.3%
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.
"Bahr" Surname 22.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bahr" Surname 24.0%
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.
"Bahr" Surname 11.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bahr?
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 Bahr are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition