Explore the Family Name Greer

The meaning of Greer

Scottish (Lanarkshire): from the medieval Scottish personal name Grier, a vernacular form of Gregor (see Gregory and compare Grierson). This form of the surname is common in Ireland as well as Scotland. History: A Scottish family by the name of Grierson claim descent from Gilbert, a son of Malcolm MacGregor (died 1374), 11th Lord of MacGregor. Gilbert was known as both MacGregor and Gregorson. In 1400 he was granted lands by the Earl of March in the name Grierson. The numerous northern Irish bearers of the name Greer claim descent from this same Gilbert.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Greer in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Greer" saw a slight decrease in rank from 552 to 590 between 2000 and 2010. Despite this drop in rank, the count of individuals with the Greer surname increased by 4.45%, from 54,611 to 57,043 during the same period. However, the proportion per 100,000 people displayed a decrease of 4.45% - a decline from 20.24 to 19.34.

20002010Change
Rank#552#590-6.88%
Count54,61157,0434.45%
Proportion per 100k20.2419.34-4.45%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Greer

The ethnicity of those carrying the surname "Greer" also underwent changes from 2000 to 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian/Alaskan Native all increased over the decade. Asian/Pacific Islander individuals saw the largest increase (40%), followed by those of Hispanic ethnicity (60.54%). Conversely, the percentage of people identifying as White decreased by 3.07%, from 75.62% to 73.3%. Despite these changes, White remains the most common ethnic identity associated with the surname Greer.

20002010Change
White75.62%73.3%-3.07%
Black20.62%21.33%3.44%
Hispanic1.47%2.36%60.54%
Two or More Races1.49%2.07%38.93%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.35%0.49%40%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.44%0.45%2.27%

Greer 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 Greer is British & Irish, which comprises 56.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.9%) and Eastern European (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Spanish & Portuguese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish56.1%
French & German20.9%
Eastern European3.7%
Other19.3%
Greer

Possible origins of the surname Greer

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 Greer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom86.40%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom86.30%
Merseyside, United Kingdom86.20%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom86.00%
West Midlands, United Kingdom86.00%

What Greer 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 Greer is R-S660, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S660 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-L22 and R-M222, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Moreland, Mcfadden, Quinn, Gilmore, Arrington, Buckner, Egan, Molloy, Mccann, Mullins.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Greer surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

greerPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to Niall of the Nine Hostages

The spread of haplogroup R-M222 in northern Ireland and Scotland was likely aided by men like Niall of the Nine Hostages. Perhaps more myth than man, Niall is said to have been a King of Tara in northwestern Ireland in the late 4th century C.E. His name comes from a tale of nine hostages that he held from the regions he ruled over. Though the legendary stories of his life may have been invented hundreds of years after he died, genetic evidence suggests that the Uí Néill dynasty, whose name means "descendants of Niall," did in fact trace back to just one man who likely bore haplogroup R-M222, a branch of R-M269.The Uí Néill ruled to various degrees as kings of Ireland from the 7th to the 11th century C.E. In the highly patriarchal society of medieval Ireland, their status allowed them to have outsized numbers of children and spread their paternal lineage each generation. In fact, researchers have estimated that between 2 and 3 million men with roots in north-west Ireland are paternal-line descendants of Niall.

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Greer 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

Greer

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Greer" Surname 45.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Greer

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Greer" Surname 20.8%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Greer

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Greer" Surname 20.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Greer

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Greer" Surname 17.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Greer?

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 Greer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%