Explore the Family Name Poe
The meaning of Poe
1. English (northern): nickname from Middle English pa(we), po(we) ‘peacock’ (Old English pāwa and Old Norse pá). Alternatively, from the Middle English personal name Pawe (Old English Pāwa), Latinized as Pavo, and derived from the nickname. This surname is also established in Ireland. 2. Burmese (Karen): variant of Po 11. 3. Chinese: variant of Po. History: Poe is a common surname found in the 17th and 18th centuries in VA and SC. The ancestors of the poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49) were of Scotch-Irish descent, having emigrated from Ireland to Lancaster County, PA, c.1748.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Poe in the United States?
The surname Poe had a slight shift in popularity from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In the year 2000, Poe was ranked as the 1433rd most popular last name with 22,865 individuals bearing it. However, by 2010, its rank fell slightly to 1522, even though the count of individuals with this surname increased to 23,563. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people also decreased by 5.78%, reflecting a slight decrease in the prevalence of this surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,433 | #1,522 | -6.21% |
| Count | 22,865 | 23,563 | 3.05% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.48 | 7.99 | -5.78% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Poe
As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Poe, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates changes between 2000 and 2010. The majority of people with this surname identified as White, although there was a slight decrease in this group (from 82.14% to 80.15%). The Black community saw a minor increase from 12.4% to 12.52%. Notably, the Asian/Pacific Islander category experienced a significant increase, nearly doubling from 1.17% to 2.32%. Those identifying as two or more races also increased in number by 31.10%. The Hispanic population showed moderate growth, rising from 1.8% to 2.05%, while the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Natives with this surname decreased slightly.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.14% | 80.15% | -2.42% |
| Black | 12.4% | 12.52% | 0.97% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.17% | 2.32% | 98.29% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 2.15% | 31.1% |
| Hispanic | 1.8% | 2.05% | 13.89% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.85% | 0.82% | -3.53% |
Poe 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 Poe is British & Irish, which comprises 56.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.5%) and Eastern European (3.3%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.4% |
| French & German | 25.5% |
| Eastern European | 3.3% |
| Other | 14.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Poe
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 Poe have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
What Poe 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 Poe is J-L70, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-L70 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-P109, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Stowers, Treadwell, Brandenburg, Race, Perrine, Eichelberger, Wingo, Traver, Mazzola, Mancuso.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Poe surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Poe 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.
"Poe" Surname 48.8%
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.
"Poe" Surname 33.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Poe" Surname 25.5%
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.
"Poe" Surname 15.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Poe?
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 Poe are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition