Explore the Family Name Peer
The meaning of Peer
1. English: variant of Pear. 2. Dutch and North German: from a shortened form of the personal name Peter. 3. South German: variant of Beer ‘bear’. It is also found in Slovenia, Croatia, and Czechia.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Peer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Peer has slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Peer was ranked 8118th in terms of popularity and this rank fell to 8773rd by 2010, a drop of 8.07%. The count of individuals with the surname also saw a minor decrease from 3763 in 2000 to 3736 in 2010, marking a fall of 0.72%. In addition, the proportion per 100k people bearing the surname Peer declined by 8.63% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,118 | #8,773 | -8.07% |
| Count | 3,763 | 3,736 | -0.72% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.39 | 1.27 | -8.63% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Peer
The ethnicity associated with the surname Peer also underwent changes between 2000 and 2010, as revealed by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Peers identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 23.03%, while those identifying with two or more ethnicities saw a minor rise of 2.34%. Conversely, the percentage of Peers who identified as White decreased slightly by 0.68%, and those who identified as Black also decreased by 4.70%. Peers identifying as Hispanic saw an increase of 15.48%, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a decrease of 6.98%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.28% | 90.66% | -0.68% |
| Black | 2.98% | 2.84% | -4.7% |
| Hispanic | 2.39% | 2.76% | 15.48% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.65% | 2.03% | 23.03% |
| Two or More Races | 1.28% | 1.31% | 2.34% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.43% | 0.4% | -6.98% |
Peer 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 Peer is British & Irish, which comprises 45.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.1%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (7.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Scandinavian, Northern Indian & Pakistani, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 45.1% |
| French & German | 25.1% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 7.3% |
| Other | 22.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Peer
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 Peer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
| South Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 81.40% |
What Peer 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 Peer is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-S1954 and R-Z381, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Whitt, Compton, Soares, Seibel, Avery, Gary, Powell, Cobb, Perry, O'Neal.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Peer surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Peer 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.
"Peer" Surname 40.4%
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.
"Peer" Surname 38.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Peer" Surname 17.6%
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.
"Peer" Surname 20.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Peer?
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 Peer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition