Explore the Family Name Cherry

The meaning of Cherry

1. English and Scottish: from Middle English chirie, cherye ‘cherry’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of cherries, or possibly a nickname for someone with rosy cheeks. 2. Probably in some cases an Americanized form (translation into English) of German Kirsch.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Cherry in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Cherry has seen a slight decrease in rank from 922 in 2000 to 970 in 2010, marking a change of -5.21%. However, the count of people with the Cherry surname increased by 3.65% during the same period, rising from 34,615 to 35,877. The proportion of this surname per 100k population also saw a small decrease from 12.83 in 2000 to 12.16 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#922#970-5.21%
Count34,61535,8773.65%
Proportion per 100k12.8312.16-5.22%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cherry

In regards to ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that there were shifts among those bearing the Cherry surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 27.45%, and those reporting two or more races saw an increase of 37.57%. The percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic also rose significantly by 47.83%. Conversely, the proportion of White individuals decreased by 3.12%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category experienced a drop of 9.09%. The proportion of individuals identifying as Black saw a minimal increase of 1.34%.

20002010Change
White60.87%58.97%-3.12%
Black34.98%35.45%1.34%
Two or More Races1.81%2.49%37.57%
Hispanic1.38%2.04%47.83%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.51%0.65%27.45%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.44%0.4%-9.09%

Cherry 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 Cherry is British & Irish, which comprises 49.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.1%) and Eastern European (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Scandinavian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish49.8%
French & German19.1%
Eastern European4.6%
Other26.5%
Cherry

Possible origins of the surname Cherry

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 Cherry have recent ancestry locations all within United Kingdom.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom77.20%
Greater London, United Kingdom77.20%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom77.10%
Merseyside, United Kingdom76.90%
West Midlands, United Kingdom76.90%

What Cherry 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 Cherry is G-CTS5990, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup G-CTS5990 is descended from haplogroup G-M201. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L2, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Castle, Dees, Devito, Watson, Stearns, Robinson, Taylor, Collins, Larsen, Green.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cherry surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

cherryPaternal Haplogroup Origins G-M201
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to Ötzi the Iceman

Ötzi the Iceman was discovered in 1991, protruding from a snow-bank high in the Alps near the Austrian-Italian border. His 5,300-year-old remains turned out to be so well preserved that researchers were able to construct a detailed account of his life and death. Chemical analysis of Ötzi's teeth indicates he came from the Italian side of the Alps. He had suffered during the year before his death with whipworm, a stomach parasite that was found in his digestive tract. Yet he was fit enough to climb 6,500 feet in elevation during the day or two before he met his end in a rocky alpine hollow. Ötzi apparently was murdered, struck by a stone arrow point that was found lodged in his left shoulder. The twisted position of his body indicates that the murderer, or one of his accomplices, pulled the arrow's shaft out of Ötzi's prone body.Yet whoever killed Ötzi did not take the valuable and finely wrought copper axe that he carried with him — an indicator that at the age of 45, the Ice Man may have been a figure of some importance in his community. Recently, scientists who were able to extract DNA from Ötzi's remains discovered that he belonged to a paternal lineage that stems from haplogroup G-M201. Today, Ötzi's lineage reaches its highest levels in Sardinia and Corsica, and was once common among early European farmers.

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Cherry 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

Cherry

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Cherry" Surname 44.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Cherry

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Cherry" Surname 28.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Cherry

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Cherry" Surname 24.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Cherry

Cat Allergy

An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.

"Cherry" Surname 41.5%

23andMe Users 36.7%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Cherry?

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 Cherry are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%