Explore the Family Name Demers
The meaning of Demers
1. French Canadian: altered form (probably in the literal sense of 2 below) of northern French Dumets, itself a variant of Dumetz, a habitational name, with fused preposition and definite article du ‘from the’, for someone from any of several places in the north of France called (Le) Metz, named with a regional term for a ‘farmstead’ (compare Mas 1 and Dume 2). Compare also Demarce, Demars 1, and Dumay 1. 2. French: habitational name, with fused preposition de ‘from’, denoting someone from either of two places in France named Mers, Mers-les-Bains (Somme) or Mers-sur-Indre (Indre). 3. English: variant of Deamer, with post-medieval excrescent -s. History: It was Jean Dumets from Normandy, France, whose descendants bear the surname Demers and its Americanized forms like Demars. He settled in QC in the middle of the 17th century. Some characteristic forenames: French Mireille, Marcel, Andre, Armand, Lucien, Normand, Jacques, Alphonse, Fernand, Adrien, Alcide, Cecile.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Demers in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Demers shifted slightly between 2000 and 2010. It was ranked as the 3,624th most popular surname in 2000 with a count of 9,009. By 2010, it moved to the 3,839th position, with a marginal increase in count to 9,225, reflecting a 2.4 percent growth. Despite the increase in total count, its proportion per 100k people decreased by 6.29 percent, indicating that its popularity didn't keep pace with the overall population growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,624 | #3,839 | -5.93% |
| Count | 9,009 | 9,225 | 2.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.34 | 3.13 | -6.29% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Demers
The ethnicity data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals changes in the ethnic identity among individuals with the surname Demers. In 2000, the majority of Demers identified as White (96.56 percent), with small proportions identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (0.40 percent), Two or more races (1.31 percent), Hispanic (0.91 percent), Black (0.34 percent), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.48 percent). By 2010, while the majority still identified as White (95.50 percent), there was a significant percentage increase in those identifying as Hispanic (a rise of 102.20 percent). Meanwhile, the proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races also saw increases, while those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw decreases.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.56% | 95.5% | -1.1% |
| Hispanic | 0.91% | 1.84% | 102.2% |
| Two or More Races | 1.31% | 1.42% | 8.4% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.53% | 32.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.48% | 0.39% | -18.75% |
| Black | 0.34% | 0.31% | -8.82% |
Demers 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 Demers is British & Irish, which comprises 42.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (32.4%) and Spanish & Portuguese (5.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Greek & Balkan, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 42.2% |
| French & German | 32.4% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 5.7% |
| Other | 19.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Demers
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 Demers have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 75.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 73.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 73.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 73.20% |
What Demers 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 Demers is R-Z209, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z209 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Loomis, Whitworth, Dionne, Harlan, Melancon, Shumway, Bourque, Bernier, Nadeau, Paradis.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Demers 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 Demers 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.
"Demers" Surname 33.8%
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.
"Demers" Surname 22.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Demers" Surname 15.9%
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.
"Demers" Surname 21.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Demers?
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 Demers are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition