Explore the Family Name Niemiec
The meaning of Niemiec
Polish and Jewish (from Poland): ethnic name from Polish Niemiec ‘German’ (see Nemec). This surname is also found among Rusyns (Lemkos). Some characteristic forenames: Polish Stanislaw, Casimier, Casimir, Henryk, Ignatius, Ireneusz, Jadwiga, Janusz, Jerzy, Krystyna, Ludwik, Mieczyslaw.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Niemiec in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Niemiec has seen slight changes in popularity over a decade. In 2000, Niemiec was ranked 12,511th in terms of commonality among surnames, increasing slightly to 13,300th in 2010. This represents a modest decrease in popularity of roughly 6.31%. The overall count of individuals with this surname increased from 2,271 in 2000 to 2,293 in 2010, showing a minimal growth of about 0.97%. However, its proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 7.14% during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,511 | #13,300 | -6.31% |
| Count | 2,271 | 2,293 | 0.97% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.84 | 0.78 | -7.14% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Niemiec
When it comes to ethnic identity associated with the surname Niemiec, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that it is primarily linked to those identifying as White, although there have been some shifts over time. In 2000, 98.06% of the bearers of this surname identified as White, decreasing slightly to 96.73% in 2010. There was a notable increase in those identifying as Hispanic, moving from 0.75% in 2000 to 1.66% in 2010. Additionally, the data indicates a small presence of individuals who identify as two or more races, which increased from 0.84% to 1.18% over the decade. The surname also emerged among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander by 2010, while no change was observed for those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 98.06% | 96.73% | -1.36% |
| Hispanic | 0.75% | 1.66% | 121.33% |
| Two or More Races | 0.84% | 1.18% | 40.48% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.31% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Niemiec 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 Niemiec is Eastern European, which comprises 42.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (26.2%) and French & German (14.1%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Eastern European | 42.1% |
| British & Irish | 26.2% |
| French & German | 14.1% |
| Other | 17.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Niemiec
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 Niemiec have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Poland, and United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Poland | 70.30% |
| Masovian Voivodeship, Poland | 67.60% |
| Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland | 67.60% |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland | 58.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 58.10% |
What Niemiec 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 Niemiec is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Niemiec surname are: N, H, H1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
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 Niemiec 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.
"Niemiec" Surname 42.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Niemiec" Surname 27.3%
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.
"Niemiec" Surname 15.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Niemiec?
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 Niemiec are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition