Explore the Family Name Berry
The meaning of Berry
1. Irish and Manx: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Béara ‘descendant of Béara’, a personal name of unexplained etymology; or, in some cases, perhaps an Anglicized form of Irish and Manx Ó Beargha. Compare Barry 1. 2. Scottish and northern Irish: variant of Barrie. 3. English: habitational name from any of several places called in Devon named with Old English byrig, dative case of burh ‘fortified manor house, stronghold’, such as Berry Pomeroy and Berrynarbor. 4. English: from Middle English (atte) beri ‘(at the) manor house’, denoting someone who lived and worked at such a place, from Middle English beri, biri, buri (from the Old English dative case, byrig, of Old English burg ‘fort, fortified manor house’). See also Atterbury. 5. French: habitational name from Berry, a former province of central France, so named with Latin Biturica, the land of the Bituriges, a Gaulish tribe. 6. Swiss German: from a pet form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with Old High German bero ‘bear’ (see Baer). 7. Altered form of French Baril. Compare Barry 7. 8. Altered form (loose translation into English) of French Canadian Laframboise ‘the raspberry’. History: Some of the American Berrys (see 7 above) are descended from Jean Baril from France, who was in QC by 1673 (see Baril).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Berry in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Berry has seen a slight change in recent years. In 2000, the surname ranked at 205 with a count of 129,405, averaging about 47.97 per 100k people. However, by 2010, it had dropped to a rank of 222, despite the count increasing to 132,812, which is a growth of 2.63%. The proportion per 100k also decreased by -6.15%, showing a lower overall frequency of the surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #205 | #222 | -8.29% |
| Count | 129,405 | 132,812 | 2.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 47.97 | 45.02 | -6.15% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Berry
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Berry, there have been significant changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest ethnic group identified with this surname remains white, although its prevalence decreased slightly from 73.27% in 2000 to 70.66% in 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Black increased slightly from 22.26% to 23.11%. Interestingly, the Hispanic ethnicity saw the most significant growth, with an increase from 1.60% to 2.53%. The percentages of Asian/Pacific Islander, those identifying with two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw increases, although these groups remain a smaller portion of those with the Berry surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73.27% | 70.66% | -3.56% |
| Black | 22.26% | 23.11% | 3.82% |
| Hispanic | 1.6% | 2.53% | 58.12% |
| Two or More Races | 1.75% | 2.34% | 33.71% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.68% | 0.8% | 17.65% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.56% | 27.27% |
Berry 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 Berry is British & Irish, which comprises 53.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.7%) and Eastern European (3.3%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.4% |
| French & German | 21.7% |
| Eastern European | 3.3% |
| Other | 21.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Berry
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 Berry have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.90% |
What Berry 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 Berry is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Martin, White, Smith, Brown, Taylor, Green, Hill, Wilson, Scott, Clarke.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Berry surname are: H1, T2b, H. 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 Berry 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.
"Berry" Surname 42.3%
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.
"Berry" Surname 25.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Berry" Surname 21.6%
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.
"Berry" Surname 17.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Berry?
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 Berry are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition