Explore the Family Name Bear
The meaning of Bear
1. English: variant of Beer 1. 2. English: from the Middle English nickname Bere meaning ‘bear’ (Old English bera, which is also found as a byname), or from a personal name derived from a short form of the various ancient Germanic compound names with this as the first element (compare e.g. Bernhard). The bear has generally been regarded with a mixture of fear and amusement because of its strength and unpredictable temper on the one hand and its clumsy gait on the other, and in the medieval period it was also thought to typify the sins of sloth and gluttony. All these characteristics are no doubt reflected in the nickname. Throughout the Middle Ages the bear was a familiar figure in popular entertainments such as bear baiting and dancing bears. Compare Beer 2. 3. Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on a word, such as Lakota and Dakota Sioux mato and Meskwaki (Fox) makwa, meaning ‘bear’. The great cultural significance of the bear to Native Americans is reflected in their traditional personal names, many of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English), e.g. Black Bear (see Blackbear), Little Bear (see Littlebear), Standing Bear (see Standingbear), and Young Bear (see Youngbear). 4. Americanized form (translation into English) of cognates of 2 above in other languages, for example German Baer and Slovenian, Croatian, Ukrainian, and other Slavic Medved, and also an Americanized form of German Bahr.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bear in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Bear' witnessed a slight shift between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 4278th most popular last name but by 2010, it fell slightly to the 4308th position, reflecting a marginal change of -0.7%. However, the count of individuals with the 'Bear' surname increased over this decade from 7672 to 8252, an increase of 7.56%. The proportion per hundred thousand people also saw a minor decrease in 2010 to 2.8 from the original 2.84 in 2000, marking a -1.41% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,278 | #4,308 | -0.7% |
| Count | 7,672 | 8,252 | 7.56% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.84 | 2.8 | -1.41% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bear
Discussing ethnicity based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the most significant change for the 'Bear' surname was seen in the Asian/Pacific Islander group, which rose from 0.68% to 2.85%, a remarkable increase of 319.12%. Those identifying as two or more races increased by 27.35% while those with Hispanic ethnic identity saw a rise of 20.80%. The majority of individuals with the 'Bear' surname identified as White, with a slight decrease from 81.65% in 2000 to 78.05% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of Black ethnicity decreased by -18.02%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native group experienced a minor increase of 1.74%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 81.65% | 78.05% | -4.41% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 10.35% | 10.53% | 1.74% |
| Hispanic | 3.99% | 4.82% | 20.8% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.68% | 2.85% | 319.12% |
| Two or More Races | 2.23% | 2.84% | 27.35% |
| Black | 1.11% | 0.91% | -18.02% |
Bear 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 Bear is British & Irish, which comprises 39.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.9%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (9.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Indigenous American, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 39.5% |
| French & German | 25.9% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 9.4% |
| Other | 25.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Bear
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 Bear have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 77.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 76.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 76.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 76.40% |
What Bear 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 Bear is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and J-M267, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Baer, Armstrong, Blackburn, Pereira, Flint, Grimm, Oliveira, Sexton, Machado, Alves.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bear surname are: H1, H, T2. 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 Bear 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.
"Bear" Surname 35.3%
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.
"Bear" Surname 30.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bear" Surname 22.8%
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.
"Bear" Surname 23.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bear?
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 Bear are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition