Explore the Family Name Ries
The meaning of Ries
1. South German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from an ancient Germanic personal name, but mainly a nickname for an exceptionally tall or big man, Middle High German rise, German Riese ‘giant’. In some cases the name may have been used to refer ironically to a particularly short man. 2. South German: habitational name from any of several places called Ries. 3. German: topographic name from Middle Low German rīs ‘branch, twig, brushwood’. 4. Altered form of German Riess or Reis. 5. Welsh: variant of Rice.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ries in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Ries has seen a slight decrease in rank from 4658 in 2000 to 4857 in 2010, showing a change of -4.27. However, the count of people with the Ries surname has increased by 4.28 from 6960 to 7258 within the same period. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased slightly from 2.58 to 2.46, marking a -4.65 change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,658 | #4,857 | -4.27% |
| Count | 6,960 | 7,258 | 4.28% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.58 | 2.46 | -4.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ries
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some fluctuation over the decade. The proportion of individuals with the Ries surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, and those belonging to two or more races have all increased. Specifically, the proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander rose by 41.86, Hispanic by 44.12, Black by 8.55, and those of two or more races by 46.15. Notably, the proportion identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a significant increase of 154.55. Meanwhile, the proportion of those identifying as White decreased by -1.67.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.46% | 93.87% | -1.67% |
| Hispanic | 1.7% | 2.45% | 44.12% |
| Black | 1.52% | 1.65% | 8.55% |
| Two or More Races | 0.78% | 1.14% | 46.15% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.61% | 41.86% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.11% | 0.28% | 154.55% |
Ries 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 Ries is French & German, which comprises 44.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (29.2%) and Eastern European (7.3%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 44.3% |
| British & Irish | 29.2% |
| Eastern European | 7.3% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Ries
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 Ries have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 71.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 71.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 71.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 71.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 70.80% |
What Ries 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 Ries is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-DF88 and R-Z381, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nichols, Miller, King, Andrew, Mathews, Stevens, Smith, West, Fisher, Paul.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ries 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 Ries 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.
"Ries" Surname 37.3%
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.
"Ries" Surname 23.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ries" Surname 18.7%
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.
"Ries" Surname 17.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ries?
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 Ries are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition