Explore the Family Name Dewar
The meaning of Dewar
Scottish: 1. from Gaelic Mac an Deoraidh, ‘son of the pilgrim or sojourner’. Perhaps also an occupational name for a custodian of holy relics (which was normally a hereditary office), from Gaelic deoradh ‘pilgrim, stranger’. 2. habitational name from Dewar, a place near Dalkeith, of uncertain origin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dewar in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Dewar saw a slight fluctuation in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname dropped by 2.46%, shifting from a rank of 10,900 in 2000 to 11,168 in 2010. However, despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Dewar surname increased by 5.71%, growing from 2,680 in 2000 to 2,833 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 population declined by 3.03% during that decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,900 | #11,168 | -2.46% |
| Count | 2,680 | 2,833 | 5.71% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.99 | 0.96 | -3.03% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dewar
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some shifts between 2000 and 2010. Those identifying as White and bearing the Dewar surname decreased by 4.13%, from 81.08% in 2000 to 77.73% in 2010. In contrast, the Hispanic population with this surname saw an increase of 23.91%, while the Black population also rose by 14.26%. Interestingly, for the first time in 2010, a small percentage (2.26%) of individuals with the Dewar surname identified themselves as Asian/Pacific Islander. Meanwhile, the count of those identifying as two or more races or as American Indian and Alaskan Native was suppressed for privacy.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 81.08% | 77.73% | -4.13% |
| Black | 13.25% | 15.14% | 14.26% |
| Hispanic | 2.76% | 3.42% | 23.91% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 2.26% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Dewar 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 Dewar is British & Irish, which comprises 58.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.1%) and Eastern European (5.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.6% |
| French & German | 17.1% |
| Eastern European | 5.2% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Dewar
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 Dewar have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
What Dewar 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 Dewar is R-BY2634, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-BY2634 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Davies, Griffiths, Logan, Griffith, Phillips, Allan, Jones, Rees, Lloyd, Pritchard.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dewar 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 Dewar 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.
"Dewar" Surname 40.7%
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.
"Dewar" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dewar" Surname 25.9%
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.
"Dewar" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dewar?
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 Dewar are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition