Explore the Family Name Voorhees
The meaning of Voorhees
Dutch: habitational name from a farm called Voorhees, located in the hamlet of Hees near Ruinen, in the province of Drenthe. This surname is not found in the Netherlands. Compare Van Voorhees, Voorheis, Voorhies, Voorhis, Vorhees, and Voris. History: Steven Coertse van Voorhees emigrated with his wife and children from the farm of Voorhees in the Netherlands and settled at New Amersfoort (now Flatlands) on Long Island, New Netherland (now NY), in 1660. Today the family Voorhees with its numerous branches is one of the largest, if not the largest, Dutch family in North America. The name is also established in the forms Van Voorhees, Voorheis, (Van) Voorhies, (Van) Voorhis, Vorhees, Voorheese, Vooris, Voorus, Voreis, Voress, Vorheis, Vorhes, (Van) Vorhies, (Van) Vorhis, Vories, (Van) Voris, (Van) Vorous, Vorus, Vorys, etc.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Voorhees in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Voorhees" experienced a slight dip between 2000 and 2010. The surname was ranked 5,635th most popular in 2000 and dropped to the 6,012th position in 2010, marking a decrease of 6.69%. However, the count of individuals bearing this surname increased from 5,650 to 5,720 during the same period, an increase of 1.24%. Similarly, the proportion per 100,000 people fell by 7.18% from the initial 2.09 to 1.94.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,635 | #6,012 | -6.69% |
| Count | 5,650 | 5,720 | 1.24% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.09 | 1.94 | -7.18% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Voorhees
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Voorhees" also shifted over the decade, as reflected in the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased slightly from 94.30% to 93.50%, while there were increases in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.42% to 0.51%), Two or more races (from 1.27% to 1.54%), Hispanic (from 1.45% to 1.94%), and Black (from 1.65% to 1.84%). On the other hand, the number of American Indian and Alaskan Natives with this surname saw a decline from 0.90% to 0.68%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.3% | 93.5% | -0.85% |
| Hispanic | 1.45% | 1.94% | 33.79% |
| Black | 1.65% | 1.84% | 11.52% |
| Two or More Races | 1.27% | 1.54% | 21.26% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.9% | 0.68% | -24.44% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.51% | 21.43% |
Voorhees 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 Voorhees is British & Irish, which comprises 46.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (32.0%) and Scandinavian (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 46.1% |
| French & German | 32.0% |
| Scandinavian | 5.0% |
| Other | 16.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Voorhees
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 Voorhees have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
What Voorhees 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 Voorhees is J-M67, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M67 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and I-M253, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Carrico, Ison, Isom, Yancey, Pickens, Lavin, Vassallo, Porto, Piazza, Godinez.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Voorhees surname are: H1, J1c, 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 Voorhees 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.
"Voorhees" Surname 49.1%
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.
"Voorhees" Surname 21.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Voorhees" Surname 23.2%
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.
"Voorhees" Surname 15.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Voorhees?
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 Voorhees are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition