Explore the Family Name Dear
The meaning of Dear
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Dere, successor of the Old English Dēor(a), itself a short form of various compound names formed with dēore ‘dear, beloved,’ or directly from a nickname deriving from Middle English dere ‘dear, beloved’, or dere ‘fierce, brave, bold’. Dēor(a) was quite a common Old English byname, which remained current as a personal name into the 14th century. The surname may derive at least in part from this use, and in part also from a Middle English nickname. 2. English: nickname from Middle English der, Old English dēor ‘wild animal; deer’, or from the adjective of the same form, meaning ‘wild, fierce’, perhaps denoting a fast runner or someone easily frightened. By the Middle English period the adjective was falling out of use, and the noun was beginning to be restricted to the sense of modern English deer, so this may be the sense behind the surname in some cases. 3. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 謝, see Xie 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dear in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Dear saw shifts in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Dear was ranked as the 8,426th most popular surname. By 2010, it had slipped to the 8,906th spot, marking a decline of 5.7%. However, the actual count of individuals with the surname increased slightly from 3,602 in 2000 to 3,677 in 2010, an increase of 2.08%. Despite this increase in count, the proportion of the surname Dear per 100,000 people decreased by 6.72% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,426 | #8,906 | -5.7% |
| Count | 3,602 | 3,677 | 2.08% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.34 | 1.25 | -6.72% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dear
Analyzing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Dear, using data from the Decennial U.S. Census, reveals a diverse distribution. Individuals identifying as White constituted the majority, though their proportion decreased slightly from 68.10% in 2000 to 66.90% in 2010. The second largest group, those identifying as Black, saw a slight increase from 23.88% to 24.29%. Those identifying as Hispanic showed notable growth, increasing by 27.65%. Also seeing significant growth were those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, who grew from 0.36% to 0.49%. The Asian/Pacific Islander group saw a slight decline from 3.47% to 3.21%, while the group identifying with two or more races increased by 15.27%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.1% | 66.9% | -1.76% |
| Black | 23.88% | 24.29% | 1.72% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.47% | 3.21% | -7.49% |
| Hispanic | 2.17% | 2.77% | 27.65% |
| Two or More Races | 2.03% | 2.34% | 15.27% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.36% | 0.49% | 36.11% |
Dear 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 Dear is British & Irish, which comprises 54.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.9%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Chinese, Eastern European, Nigerian, Scandinavian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.0% |
| French & German | 20.9% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 3.6% |
| Other | 21.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Dear
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 Dear have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
What Dear 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 Dear is R-Z381, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z381 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Y6228 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Heinz, Lipp, Sack, Weigand, Berner, Weidman, Ricci, Mathison, Mahler, Weaver.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dear surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
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 Dear 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.
"Dear" Surname 59.3%
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.
"Dear" Surname 25.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dear" Surname 34.3%
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.
"Dear" Surname 23.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dear?
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 Dear are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition