Explore the Family Name Dewey
The meaning of Dewey
1. Welsh: from the personal name Dewi, Welsh form of David. In some cases the name may arise from the dedication of parish churches in places called Llanddewi (Saint David’s), of which there are several. 2. Anglicized form of a French Huguenot surname of uncertain form and origin. Traditionally it is recorded as Douai, a habitational name from a city so named in northern France, but it could also be from Old Norman French du we(z) ‘of the ford’, from a variant of standard French gué ‘ford’. 3. In some cases also an Americanized form of French Duguay. 4. In some cases possibly also an Americanized form of Dutch De Weij (archaic De Wey): cognate of Van der Weij (see Wey). History: Thomas Duee of Sandwich in Kent, England, emigrated to Dorchester, MA, in 1634, where his name is recorded as Dewey. Another line is apparently descended from a Huguenot family called Douai, who settled in Kent, England, in the latter half of the 16th century. The connection, if any, between the two Kentish families is not clear.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dewey in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Dewey has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked at 2,716, but by 2010 it had dropped to a ranking of 2,926, marking a change of -7.73%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Dewey surname rose slightly from 12,174 in 2000 to 12,249 in 2010, a modest increase of 0.62%. This resulted in the proportion of the surname per 100,000 people decreasing by -7.98% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,716 | #2,926 | -7.73% |
| Count | 12,174 | 12,249 | 0.62% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.51 | 4.15 | -7.98% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dewey
In terms of ethnic identity, the Dewey surname shows varying degrees of representation across different groups between 2000 and 2010, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest group identifying with this surname remains those of White ethnicity, although there was a minor decrease from 93.39% in 2000 to 91.66% in 2010. The Hispanic representation saw the most significant growth, increasing by 56.67%, albeit from a smaller base of 1.20% in 2000 to 1.88% in 2010. Those identifying as Two or more races increased by 38.36%, while Asian/Pacific Islander representation grew by 25.00%. Slight increases were also seen in Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native groups, with changes of 6.86% and 14.29% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.39% | 91.66% | -1.85% |
| Two or More Races | 1.46% | 2.02% | 38.36% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.68% | 1.92% | 14.29% |
| Hispanic | 1.2% | 1.88% | 56.67% |
| Black | 1.75% | 1.87% | 6.86% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.65% | 25% |
Dewey 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 Dewey is British & Irish, which comprises 55.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.6%) and Scandinavian (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Japanese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.2% |
| French & German | 26.6% |
| Scandinavian | 4.6% |
| Other | 13.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Dewey
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 Dewey have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 93.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 93.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 93.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 93.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 93.50% |
What Dewey 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 Dewey is R-Z156, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z156 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and R-Z306, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Tackett, Upchurch, Hiatt, Burdette, Zachary, Correll, Crocker, Terrell, Roper, Broyles.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dewey surname are: H1, T2b, 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 Dewey 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.
"Dewey" Surname 45.2%
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.
"Dewey" Surname 24.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dewey" Surname 23.2%
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.
"Dewey" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dewey?
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 Dewey are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition