Explore the Family Name Geier
The meaning of Geier
1. German: variant of Geyer. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name from Yiddish geyer ‘peddler’ (a derivative of geyn ‘to go’); or, in some cases, perhaps an unflattering name from German Geier ‘vulture’, bestowed by non-Jewish government officials in Central Europe at the time when surnames became compulsory. Some characteristic forenames: German Horst, Otto, Hans, Kurt, Florian, Franz, Frieda, Helmut, Markus, Siegfried, Winfried.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Geier in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Geier saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 8022nd most popular surname but fell to the 8518th spot by 2010, reflecting a decline in popularity by 6.18%. Despite this drop in rank, the number of people bearing the surname Geier increased slightly from 3,814 in 2000 to 3,864 in 2010, a growth of 1.31%. However, when considering the overall proportion per 100k people, the prevalence of the Geier surname decreased by 7.09%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,022 | #8,518 | -6.18% |
| Count | 3,814 | 3,864 | 1.31% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.41 | 1.31 | -7.09% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Geier
In terms of ethnic identity, the Geier surname was overwhelmingly associated with individuals identifying as White, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of people with this surname identifying as White slightly decreased from 97.09% in 2000 to 96.30% in 2010. During the same period, the percentage of individuals with the Geier surname identifying as Hispanic experienced the largest increase, from 0.81% to 1.42%, a change of 75.31%. Meanwhile, the percentage identifying as Black rose from 0.50% to 0.62%. The percentages for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native were either negligible or suppressed for privacy in both census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.09% | 96.3% | -0.81% |
| Hispanic | 0.81% | 1.42% | 75.31% |
| Two or More Races | 0.97% | 0.98% | 1.03% |
| Black | 0.5% | 0.62% | 24% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.16% | 0% | 0% |
Geier 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 Geier is French & German, which comprises 39.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (31.9%) and Eastern European (7.4%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Chinese, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 39.5% |
| British & Irish | 31.9% |
| Eastern European | 7.4% |
| Other | 21.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Geier
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 Geier have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 70.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 70.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 70.10% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 70.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 70.10% |
What Geier 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 Geier is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-L29 and I-DF29, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hesse, Behr, Alberts, Hartwig, Krohn, Orth, Herold, Deutsch, August, Strobel.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Geier surname are: H1, N, 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 Geier 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.
"Geier" Surname 41.5%
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.
"Geier" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Geier" Surname 19.1%
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.
"Geier" Surname 18.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Geier?
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 Geier are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition