Explore the Family Name Cary
The meaning of Cary
1. Irish (Donegal and Westmeath) and English: variant of Carey. 2. French: variant of Carry 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cary in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Cary has seen a decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 2,756th most popular surname, but by 2010, it dropped to 3,138th place, representing a decrease of 13.86%. The census count for the Cary surname also decreased from 12,013 in 2000 to 11,506 in 2010, indicating a reduction of 4.22%. Consequently, the proportion of people with the surname Cary per 100,000 people fell by 12.36% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,756 | #3,138 | -13.86% |
| Count | 12,013 | 11,506 | -4.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.45 | 3.9 | -12.36% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cary
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Cary has also seen some shifts throughout the decade, as per the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of individuals identifying as White with the surname Cary slightly decreased from 83.48% in 2000 to 81.99% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of Black individuals with the Cary surname experienced a slight drop of 1.71%. However, the Census observed an increase in the Hispanic community carrying the Cary surname from 1.37% to 2.50%, representing a significant 82.48% change. Meanwhile, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaskan Native, or two or more races saw moderate increases in their respective percentages.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.48% | 81.99% | -1.78% |
| Black | 12.84% | 12.62% | -1.71% |
| Hispanic | 1.37% | 2.5% | 82.48% |
| Two or More Races | 1.37% | 1.74% | 27.01% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.51% | 0.61% | 19.61% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.43% | 0.54% | 25.58% |
Cary 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 Cary is British & Irish, which comprises 49.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.7%) and Scandinavian (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 49.0% |
| French & German | 26.7% |
| Scandinavian | 4.5% |
| Other | 19.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Cary
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 Cary have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
What Cary 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 Cary is R-M167, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M167 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bragg, Gossett, Isaacs, Metcalfe, Metcalf, Welborn, Tabor, Richard, Chilton, Edson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cary surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Cary 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.
"Cary" Surname 39.6%
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.
"Cary" Surname 27.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cary" Surname 17.8%
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.
"Cary" Surname 20.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cary?
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 Cary are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition