Explore the Family Name Scherer
The meaning of Scherer
1. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a sheep-shearer or someone who used scissors to trim the surface of finished cloth and remove excessive nap, from Middle High German scherer, German Scherer, Yiddish sherer, agent derivatives of Middle High German scheren ‘to shear’. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). Compare Sharer 2, Sharrer, and Shearer 2. 2. Dutch and Flemish: cognate of 1 above, from Middle Dutch sc(h)errer ‘cutter’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Scherer in the United States?
The surname Scherer showed a slight shift in its popularity from the year 2000 to 2010. According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, it fell from rank 2,580 in 2000 to 2,682 in 2010, a decrease of approximately 3.95%. However, the actual count of people bearing this surname increased by 4.13% from 12,889 to 13,421 during the same period. This resulted in a slight decrease in the proportion per 100,000 individuals, from 4.78 to 4.55, marking a change of -4.81%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,580 | #2,682 | -3.95% |
| Count | 12,889 | 13,421 | 4.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.78 | 4.55 | -4.81% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Scherer
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Scherer also saw some changes between 2000 and 2010, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, although this percentage dropped slightly from 96.83% to 95.13%. Meanwhile, the proportion identifying as Hispanic saw the most significant increase, jumping from 1.29% to 2.24%, a 73.64% change. Those identifying as Black also increased, albeit from a lower base, doubling from 0.22% to 0.42%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or with two or more races also increased, while the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native remained steady.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.83% | 95.13% | -1.76% |
| Hispanic | 1.29% | 2.24% | 73.64% |
| Two or More Races | 0.83% | 1.2% | 44.58% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0.66% | 34.69% |
| Black | 0.22% | 0.42% | 90.91% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.35% | 0% |
Scherer 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 Scherer is French & German, which comprises 41.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (31.9%) and Eastern European (6.8%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 41.5% |
| British & Irish | 31.9% |
| Eastern European | 6.8% |
| Other | 19.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Scherer
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 Scherer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 70.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 70.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 70.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
What Scherer 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 Scherer is J-M92, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M92 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Michel, Miller, Snyder, Fischer, Wagner, Braun, Baker, Becker, Marshall, Lang.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Scherer 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 Scherer 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.
"Scherer" Surname 45.2%
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.
"Scherer" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Scherer" Surname 13.9%
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.
"Scherer" Surname 16.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Scherer?
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 Scherer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition