Explore the Family Name Pomeroy

The meaning of Pomeroy

English (of Norman origin; mainly Devon and Dorset): habitational name from any of various places in northeastern France named with Old French pommeroie, pommeraie ‘apple orchard’ (collective of pomme ‘apple’). The name was established in Ireland in 1573.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Pomeroy has seen a minor fluctuation in the past decade. In 2000, the name ranked at 4,480, while in 2010 it slightly dropped to 4,792, indicating a decrease by approximately 7 percent. Despite the drop in ranking, the count of people bearing the surname increased from 7,288 in 2000 to 7,377 in 2010, which is a growth rate of around 1.22 percent. However, the proportion per 100,000 people dipped from 2.7 to 2.5, marking a reduction of about 7.41 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#4,480#4,792-6.96%
Count7,2887,3771.22%
Proportion per 100k2.72.5-7.41%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pomeroy

When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the Pomeroy surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some interesting shifts over the same decade. The majority of individuals with this surname are identified as White, although the percentage decreased slightly from 95.39 in 2000 to 93.99 in 2010. On the other hand, the Hispanic representation saw the most significant increase, jumping from 1.36 to 2.13, a rise of 56.62 percent. The Asian/Pacific Islander category also saw an increase, going up by 46.67 percent from 2000 to 2010. Notably, there was also a modest increase among those identifying as two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native. However, the Black population experienced a slight decline by about 10.81 percent.

20002010Change
White95.39%93.99%-1.47%
Hispanic1.36%2.13%56.62%
Two or More Races1.55%1.74%12.26%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.73%0.94%28.77%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.6%0.88%46.67%
Black0.37%0.33%-10.81%

Pomeroy 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 Pomeroy is British & Irish, which comprises 50.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.6%) and Scandinavian (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish50.0%
French & German24.6%
Scandinavian5.4%
Other20.1%
Pomeroy

Possible origins of the surname Pomeroy

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Merseyside, United Kingdom86.30%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom86.30%
Greater London, United Kingdom86.30%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom86.30%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom85.90%

What Pomeroy 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 Pomeroy is R-CTS9881, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS9881 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Y6065 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Fletcher, Christie, Black, Clarke, Smith, Atkinson, Thompson, Klaus, Davison, Francis.

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

pomeroyPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara

Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Pomeroy 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

Pomeroy

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Pomeroy" Surname 47.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Pomeroy

Misophonia

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

"Pomeroy" Surname 32.4%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Pomeroy

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Pomeroy" Surname 18.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Pomeroy

Migraine

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

"Pomeroy" Surname 19.2%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Pomeroy?

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 Pomeroy 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%