Explore the Family Name Beer
The meaning of Beer
1. English (West Country): habitational name from any of the forty or so places in southwestern England called Beer(e) or Bear(e). Most of these derive their names from the West Saxon dative case, beara, of Old English bearu ‘grove, wood’ (the standard Old English dative bearwe being preserved in Barrow). In some cases the surname may be topographic in origin, from atte beare ‘at the grove’. Some may be from Middle English bere ‘woodland swine-pasture’ (Old English bǣr). Compare Bear 1. 2. English: variant of Bear 2 ‘bear’. 3. North German and Dutch: from Middle Low German bāre, Middle Dutch bēre ‘bear’, applied as a nickname for someone thought to resemble the animal in some way, or as a metonymic occupational name for someone who kept a performing bear (compare 2 above). Alternatively, it could have been a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a bear, or from an ancient Germanic personal name with this as the first element. See also Baer, Bahr. 4. Germanized form of Sorbian Běr: from a short form of the Old Sorbian personal name Běrisław (based on the Old Slavic imperative beri ‘collect’). 5. Americanized form (translation into English) of German or Jewish (Ashkenazic) Bier, or possibly of some other similar (like-sounding) surname. Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Otto, Erhard, Hans, Heinz, Aloys, Bodo, Erna, Ernst, Frieda, Friedhelm, Hanni.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Beer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Beer" saw a minor decrease in rank from 5554 in 2000 to 5829 in 2010, representing a change of -4.95. However, the count of people with this surname slightly increased from 5743 to 5931 during the same period, a percentage increase of 3.27. The proportion per 100k of people with this surname also declined by -5.63.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,554 | #5,829 | -4.95% |
| Count | 5,743 | 5,931 | 3.27% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.13 | 2.01 | -5.63% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Beer
Regarding ethnic identity, individuals with the surname "Beer" showed some changes between 2000 and 2010 as per the Decennial U.S. Census. The largest change was seen in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, which nearly doubled from 0.52 to 1.03. There was also a significant increase in those identifying as two or more races, up from 0.80 to 1.37. The White demographic remained the majority but slightly decreased from 95.77 to 94.13. There was an increase in the Hispanic category from 1.48 to 2.14, while the Black category witnessed a decrease from 1.06 to 0.89. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a modest increase from 0.37 to 0.44.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.77% | 94.13% | -1.71% |
| Hispanic | 1.48% | 2.14% | 44.59% |
| Two or More Races | 0.8% | 1.37% | 71.25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 1.03% | 98.08% |
| Black | 1.06% | 0.89% | -16.04% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.37% | 0.44% | 18.92% |
Beer 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 Beer is British & Irish, which comprises 37.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (34.0%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (13.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 37.3% |
| French & German | 34.0% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 13.2% |
| Other | 15.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Beer
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 Beer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 74.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 73.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 73.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 73.80% |
What Beer 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 Beer is E-V13, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-V13 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-Z9, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Spencer, Heine, Hager, Fry, Hermann, Schilling, Bock, Rudolph, Hofmann, Garrett.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Beer surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early Balkan migrants
Haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a migrated in large numbers from the Balkans into Europe about 4,500 years ago, triggered by the beginning of the Balkan Bronze Age. During this migration, members of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a mainly followed rivers connecting the southern Balkans to northern-central Europe. Technological leaps often cause lineages to grow dramatically in numbers and in geographic range. The development of Bronze technology may have given men in haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a a competitive advantage over other men, causing haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a to proliferate and become widespread.
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 Beer 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.
"Beer" Surname 40.0%
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.
"Beer" Surname 31.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Beer" Surname 26.6%
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.
"Beer" Surname 15.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Beer?
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 Beer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition