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York County – Ancestry

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Ancestry refers to the lineage or descent of a person, family, or group, tracing back through generations to identify their origins, heritage, and familial connections. It encompasses the genetic, cultural, and historical ties that link individuals to their forebears, shaping their identity and sense of belonging. Ancestry is a multifaceted concept, intertwining biology, genealogy, history, and culture, and it plays a significant role in how people understand themselves and their place in the world.

At its core, ancestry is rooted in genetics. Each individual inherits a unique combination of DNA from their parents, who in turn inherited their DNA from their own ancestors. This genetic material carries information about physical traits, predispositions to certain health conditions, and even behavioral tendencies. Advances in genetic testing, such as DNA analysis, have made it possible for individuals to trace their biological ancestry with remarkable precision. Companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA offer services that analyze genetic markers to provide insights into a person's ethnic composition and geographic origins, often revealing surprising connections to distant relatives or previously unknown heritage.

Beyond genetics, ancestry is deeply tied to genealogy, the study of family history and lineage. Genealogical research involves constructing family trees, documenting relationships, and uncovering historical records such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, census data, and immigration documents. This process often reveals stories of migration, resilience, and adaptation, offering a window into the lives of ancestors and the challenges they faced. For many, genealogy is a way to honor their forebears and preserve their legacy for future generations.

Cultural ancestry is another critical dimension, encompassing the traditions, languages, customs, and values passed down through generations. It connects individuals to their ethnic or national heritage, shaping their cultural identity and worldview. For example, someone with Irish ancestry might celebrate St. Patrick's Day, learn traditional Irish dance, or explore the Gaelic language, while someone with Japanese ancestry might practice tea ceremonies, study calligraphy, or observe Obon festivals. Cultural ancestry fosters a sense of continuity and belonging, linking individuals to a broader community with shared experiences and values.

Historical ancestry delves into the broader context of a family's or group's past, including significant events, social conditions, and historical movements that shaped their lives. For instance, the transatlantic slave trade, the Irish Potato Famine, or the Jewish diaspora have profoundly influenced the ancestry of millions of people, leaving lasting imprints on their descendants' identities. Understanding historical ancestry often involves grappling with complex narratives of triumph and tragedy, resilience and oppression, and the interplay of individual and collective experiences.

Ancestry also has a deeply personal and emotional dimension. For many, exploring their ancestry is a journey of self-discovery, offering insights into who they are and where they come from. It can foster a sense of pride, connection, and continuity, as well as a deeper appreciation for the struggles and achievements of those who came before. At the same time, it can raise questions about identity, belonging, and the complexities of heritage, particularly for individuals with mixed or multicultural backgrounds.

In a globalized world, ancestry serves as a bridge between the past and the present, connecting individuals to their roots while also highlighting the interconnectedness of human history. It underscores the diversity and richness of human experience, reminding us that every person's story is part of a larger tapestry woven over centuries. Whether through genetic testing, genealogical research, cultural practices, or historical exploration, ancestry offers a profound way to understand ourselves and our place in the world.

A diversification score measures the diversity of ancestries in the county. As the value appoaches 100, ancestry diversity decreases and therefore increasing the risk of a lack of cultural diversity. The ancestry diversification score for this county is:

13.95

Most common ancestry not including "Unknown" is:

Scotish_Irish

 
Ancestry Report Part I
DescriptionTotal Population American Native American Hawaiian Carribean Mexican Central American South American Other Hispanic British Dutch French German Italian

York County301,69733,1651,8161084,4378,5803,0532,3931,16720,6371,8123,10722,1277,742
South Carolina (in 000's)5,504519163691774739293992454329109
National (in 000's)340,98116,5892,16560710,91237,9175,6004,1394,87718,3212,0964,23427,00610,025
Mecklenburg County1,189,49451,1132,74556330,74662,53548,57922,2068,40565,5214,4529,60061,77427,239
Gaston County241,92837,458713604,5339,0592,3622,7151,37414,5201,4061,70115,9283,102
Lancaster County112,08511,335224202,0492,4011,0291,3327558,9582697146,7892,883
Cleveland County102,34926,047199251,0922,746651381346,4173575925,667704
Cherokee County57,95310,694181175221,817130322913,4012992741,953472
Chester County32,9815,908131161764518057191,94668155990252
Union County27,2133,384634432438214751,23065166978375
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

York County13.9510.990.600.041.472.841.010.790.396.840.601.037.332.57
South Carolina16.599.430.300.061.253.220.860.710.537.260.430.985.971.99
National10.644.870.640.183.2011.121.641.211.435.370.611.247.922.94
Mecklenburg County15.524.300.230.052.585.264.081.870.715.510.370.815.192.29
Gaston County15.5115.480.290.021.873.740.981.120.576.000.580.706.581.28
Lancaster County14.8010.110.200.021.832.140.921.190.677.990.240.646.062.57
Cleveland County18.6625.450.190.021.072.680.060.130.136.270.350.585.540.69
Cherokee County20.2918.450.310.030.903.140.220.060.505.870.520.473.370.81
Chester County23.9617.910.400.050.531.370.240.170.065.900.210.473.000.76
Union County24.1012.440.230.010.160.890.300.050.284.520.240.613.591.38
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

York County 116.51200.9863.90117.6588.34117.43112.3872.9694.25140.24104.84122.78129.13
South Carolina 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 51.56212.03317.54255.99345.41190.57171.98269.7874.03143.53126.42132.58147.94
Mecklenburg County 45.5477.0584.49206.77163.30473.92264.50133.2875.9087.3982.1686.94115.23
Gaston County 164.1098.4144.27149.88116.31113.29159.00107.1382.70135.7071.58110.2264.52
Lancaster County 107.1866.7331.85146.2466.54106.53168.37127.06110.1256.0464.85101.40129.43
Cleveland County 269.7364.9243.6085.3583.347.3719.1024.7086.3981.4458.8892.6934.61
Cherokee County 195.58104.2852.3772.0597.3926.037.8294.7180.86120.4748.1356.4140.98
Chester County 189.86132.6286.6042.6942.4828.1524.4910.8781.3048.1447.8450.2538.45
Union County 131.8077.3026.2412.6427.7434.977.2951.9962.2855.7762.1060.1669.34
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

York County 225.9594.7920.1245.9625.5761.6265.3427.04127.3197.7182.9392.6087.28
South Carolina 193.9347.1631.4939.0628.9552.4758.1537.07135.0869.6779.1075.4267.59
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Mecklenburg County 88.3236.3426.6180.7747.28248.68153.8049.40102.5260.8964.9965.5777.89
Gaston County 318.2546.4113.9458.5533.6759.4592.4539.71111.7094.5456.6283.1343.61
Lancaster County 207.8731.4710.0357.1219.2655.9097.9047.10148.7539.0451.3076.4887.49
Cleveland County 523.1030.6213.7333.3424.133.8711.119.15116.6956.7446.5869.9123.40
Cherokee County 379.2949.1816.4928.1528.2013.664.5535.11109.2283.9338.0742.5527.70
Chester County 368.2062.5527.2716.6812.3014.7714.244.03109.8233.5437.8437.9025.99
Union County 255.6036.468.264.948.0318.354.2419.2784.1238.8649.1245.3846.87
 
Ancestry Report Part II
DescriptionTotal Population Polish Scandi­navian Scotish Irish Other European Chinese Japanese Korean South Central Asian South East Asian Other Asian Middle Eastern Other Ancestry Unknown

York County301,6973,0273,06233,4588,2926521804373,3973,44471777378,79255,322
South Carolina (in 000's)5,5044849467149143828339171,6381,225
National (in 000's)340,9815,2116,56222,89210,8864,3408331,7585,3296,0541,4412,14472,84556,198
Mecklenburg County1,189,49411,58710,24882,34533,9539,3251,4163,90731,59320,5948,0198,867401,563170,599
Gaston County241,9281,5271,46820,4024,456315532141,1431,65363642652,16662,538
Lancaster County112,0852,13574711,5252,48230638851,2527029046128,29125,213
Cleveland County102,3494193667,1541,578456782074861484425,13322,511
Cherokee County57,9532022483,8847098561538259215317,89214,548
Chester County32,9811791072,27824113063575161213,0406,730
Union County27,213282292,0292891011773308,3669,491
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

York County13.951.001.0111.092.750.220.060.141.131.140.240.2626.1218.34
South Carolina16.590.880.888.492.710.250.060.140.510.600.170.3129.7622.26
National10.641.531.926.713.191.270.240.521.561.780.420.6321.3616.48
Mecklenburg County15.520.970.866.922.850.780.120.332.661.730.670.7533.7614.34
Gaston County15.510.630.618.431.840.130.020.090.470.680.260.1821.5625.85
Lancaster County14.801.900.6710.282.210.270.030.081.120.630.080.4125.2422.49
Cleveland County18.660.410.366.991.540.040.070.010.200.470.140.0424.5621.99
Cherokee County20.290.350.436.701.220.010.100.030.070.040.160.2630.8725.10
Chester County23.960.540.326.910.730.040.000.020.110.230.050.0439.5420.41
Union County24.100.100.847.461.060.000.000.000.060.030.120.0030.7434.88
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

York County 114.18115.04130.64101.2888.0699.87100.25222.69190.93141.3383.4287.7582.39
South Carolina 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 173.92218.1279.09117.65518.62409.09356.79309.06296.97251.38204.7371.7874.05
Mecklenburg County 110.8697.6581.55105.18319.43199.26227.33525.29289.57400.90242.69113.4264.44
Gaston County 71.8368.7899.3467.8753.0536.6761.2293.44114.28156.3357.3372.45116.14
Lancaster County 216.7775.54121.1281.60111.2456.7552.49220.92104.7547.75133.9084.80101.07
Cleveland County 46.5940.5382.3456.8117.92109.575.4140.0079.4285.9914.0082.5098.82
Cherokee County 39.6748.5078.9545.085.62161.7517.9112.977.2294.4085.95103.73112.79
Chester County 61.7736.7781.3626.9316.060.0012.5920.9938.0328.8511.85132.8491.68
Union County 11.7195.3887.8339.131.500.002.5412.354.3072.110.00103.29156.70
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

York County 65.6552.74165.1886.0916.9824.4128.1072.0564.2956.2240.74122.25111.26
South Carolina 57.5045.85126.4485.0019.2824.4428.0332.3633.6739.7848.85139.32135.04
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Mecklenburg County 63.7444.77103.1189.4061.5948.7163.71169.9697.51159.48118.54158.0287.02
Gaston County 41.3031.53125.6157.6910.238.9617.1630.2338.4862.1928.00100.93156.84
Lancaster County 124.6434.63153.1569.3621.4513.8714.7171.4835.2718.9965.41118.15136.49
Cleveland County 26.7918.58104.1148.293.4526.781.5212.9426.7434.216.84114.95133.45
Cherokee County 22.8122.2499.8338.321.0839.545.024.202.4337.5541.98144.52152.31
Chester County 35.5116.86102.8822.893.100.003.536.7912.8111.485.79185.07123.81
Union County 6.7343.73111.0633.260.290.000.714.001.4528.690.00143.90211.61


Sources: STI: PopStats