Explore the Family Name Behr
The meaning of Behr
1. German: variant of Bähr (compare Bahr 2, Baehr 1), itself a variant of Baer ‘bear’. 2. Germanized form of Sorbian Běr: from a short form of the Old Sorbian personal name Běrisław (based on the Old Slavic imperative beri ‘collect’). Compare Bahr 4. Some characteristic forenames: German Arno, Claus, Hans, Erwin, Horst, Armin, Bernd, Ernst, Fritz, Gerda, Gerhard, Heinz.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Behr in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Behr has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. The rank dropped from being the 8,300th most popular name in 2000, to the 8,659th in 2010, marking a decline of 4.33%. However, the actual count of people with this surname increased by 3.38%, moving from 3,671 to 3,795 within the same time period. Interestingly, the proportion per 100,000 people fell by 5.15%, indicating that while more people bear the Behr surname now, it is less common relative to other surnames.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,300 | #8,659 | -4.33% |
| Count | 3,671 | 3,795 | 3.38% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.36 | 1.29 | -5.15% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Behr
Ethnically speaking, the majority of individuals with the Behr surname identify as White, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. This group accounted for 96.54% of all Behrs in 2000, although this decreased slightly to 95.57% in 2010. While the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic rose by 16.18% and 18.71% respectively, there was a significant increase in those identifying with two or more races, going up by an impressive 73.17%. It is also noteworthy that the proportions of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities were reported as zero in 2010, though they had previously been represented in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.54% | 95.57% | -1% |
| Hispanic | 1.55% | 1.84% | 18.71% |
| Two or More Races | 0.82% | 1.42% | 73.17% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.68% | 0.79% | 16.18% |
| Black | 0.27% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.14% | 0% | 0% |
Behr 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 Behr is French & German, which comprises 34.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (28.6%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (12.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Levantine.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 34.8% |
| British & Irish | 28.6% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 12.9% |
| Other | 23.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Behr
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 Behr have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 67.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 67.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 67.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 67.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 66.40% |
What Behr 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 Behr is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z9 and R-M405, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hesse, Roemer, Heine, Schramm, Gehring, Lampe, Beckmann, Thomsen, Theis, Bard.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Behr surname are: H1, H, V. 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 Behr 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.
"Behr" Surname 44.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Acrophobia
An intense fear of heights that goes beyond the concern many people feel around significant heights.
"Behr" Surname 27.3%
23andMe Users 16.7%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Behr" Surname 25.0%
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.
"Behr" Surname 21.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Behr?
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 Behr are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition