Explore the Family Name Maher
The meaning of Maher
1. Irish: from Ó Meachair ‘descendant of Meachar’, a personal name meaning ‘kindly, noble, majestic’. 2. Slovenian: nickname from maher, a colloquial word of Middle High German origin (from macher ‘doer’). Compare German Macher 3. 3. Slovenian: possibly also from a Slovenized form of the Old German personal name Macher 2. 4. German: occupational name for a reaper or mower (see Mader). Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Liam, Aidan, Aileen, Brigid, Ciaran, Declan, Delma, Dermot, Donal, Kieran.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Maher in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Maher underwent some changes between 2000 and 2010. The surname's rank among all surnames in the U.S. dropped slightly from 1,456 in 2000 to 1,549 in 2010, representing a decrease of approximately 6.39%. Despite this drop in ranking, the count of individuals with the surname Maher actually increased during the same period, from 22,503 to 23,222, marking a growth of 3.2%. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased by 5.64% from 8.34 to 7.87.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,456 | #1,549 | -6.39% |
| Count | 22,503 | 23,222 | 3.2% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.34 | 7.87 | -5.64% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Maher
The ethnicity associated with the surname Maher also experienced shifts over the same decade according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. There was a substantial increase in the proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic, rising by 55.13% and 45.29% respectively. Meanwhile, individuals who identified as belonging to two or more races also saw an increase of 21.80%. However, the majority of those with the surname Maher identified as White, though this demographic decreased slightly by 1.63% from 95.47% to 93.91%. Other ethnic identities such as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable or experienced minimal change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.47% | 93.91% | -1.63% |
| Hispanic | 1.7% | 2.47% | 45.29% |
| Two or More Races | 1.33% | 1.62% | 21.8% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.78% | 1.21% | 55.13% |
| Black | 0.39% | 0.47% | 20.51% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.33% | 0.33% | 0% |
Maher 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 Maher is British & Irish, which comprises 58.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (15.8%) and Eastern European (6.3%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.2% |
| French & German | 15.8% |
| Eastern European | 6.3% |
| Other | 19.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Maher
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 Maher have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
What Maher 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 Maher is R-Z16294, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z16294 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Markey, Meagher, Denman, Gilson, Carroll, Bean, Latta, Troy, Corcoran, Almond.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Maher 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 Maher 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.
"Maher" Surname 38.5%
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.
"Maher" Surname 24.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Maher" Surname 18.3%
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.
"Maher" Surname 15.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Maher?
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 Maher are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition