Explore the Family Name Shearer
The meaning of Shearer
1. Scottish and English: occupational name for a reaper of standing crops, a sheep shearer, or someone who used shears to trim the surface of finished cloth and remove excessive nap, from Middle English sherer(e) ‘shearer’, an agent derivative of Middle English schere(n) ‘to shear’. Middle English schere denoted shears and scissors of all sizes. Compare Sherman. 2. Americanized form of German or Jewish (Ashkenazic) Scherer or Scherrer, cognates of 1 above. Compare Sharrer. 3. Americanized form of German Scheurer.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shearer in the United States?
The surname Shearer was ranked 1,878th in terms of popularity based on the 2000 Decennial U.S. Census and dropped to the 2,033rd spot in 2010. This marked a decline of 8.25% over the decade. However, the number of individuals carrying the Shearer surname slightly increased from 17,545 in 2000 to 17,707 in 2010, representing a growth of 0.92%. The proportion per 100k people, though, decreased from 6.5 to 6.0, indicating a minor decrease of 7.69%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,878 | #2,033 | -8.25% |
| Count | 17,545 | 17,707 | 0.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.5 | 6 | -7.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shearer
Analyzing the ethnic identity of those with the Shearer surname according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, it was found that a notable majority identified as White, with 93.18% in 2000 and 91.71% in 2010. The percentage of Shearers identifying as Hispanic saw the most significant rise, with an increase from 1.32% in 2000 to 2.23% in 2010. Those identifying as Black also rose slightly from 3.29% to 3.48%. A small portion of Shearers indicated their ethnic identity as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native, both of which showed slight increases between 2000 and 2010. The group identifying with two or more races also saw an increase from 1.20% to 1.48% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.18% | 91.71% | -1.58% |
| Black | 3.29% | 3.48% | 5.78% |
| Hispanic | 1.32% | 2.23% | 68.94% |
| Two or More Races | 1.2% | 1.48% | 23.33% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.6% | 0.7% | 16.67% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.4% | 0.41% | 2.5% |
Shearer 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 Shearer is British & Irish, which comprises 49.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (30.0%) and Scandinavian (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 49.1% |
| French & German | 30.0% |
| Scandinavian | 4.7% |
| Other | 16.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Shearer
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 Shearer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
What Shearer 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 Shearer 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-P311 and R-L2, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Richards, Lloyd, Shaw, Winters, Thompson, Winter, Fox, Davis, Phillips, Matthews.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Shearer surname are: H1, H5a1, 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 Shearer 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.
"Shearer" Surname 42.1%
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.
"Shearer" Surname 25.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Shearer" Surname 25.0%
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.
"Shearer" Surname 20.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Shearer?
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 Shearer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition