Ersys Logo Ersys Name

Picture of valves

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:

Most common ancestry not including "Unknown" is:

 
Ancestry Report Part I
DescriptionTotal Population American Native American Hawaiian Caribbean (Latino) Mexican Central American South American Other Hispanic African American Sub- Saharan Caribbean (Black)

McPherson County374262001000000
Nebraska (in 000's)2,024601511517436612562513
National (in 000's)343,25113,8902,21362611,32738,8796,1814,6443,68725,8937,8527,174
Lincoln County33,5461,91412941122,5946402082255433
Keith County8,2123711763661140456111
Logan County7087200013002600
Thomas County6295050024001400
Hooker County695442006000800
Arthur County437110024001100
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

McPherson County21.396.950.530.000.000.270.000.000.000.000.000.00
Nebraska11.142.980.730.060.738.621.760.300.572.781.230.64
National7.834.050.640.183.3011.331.801.351.077.542.292.09
Lincoln County13.725.710.380.010.337.730.190.000.620.670.160.10
Keith County13.174.520.210.070.048.050.170.000.550.740.010.01
Logan County19.3210.170.000.000.001.840.000.000.280.850.000.00
Thomas County16.647.950.790.000.003.820.000.000.160.640.000.00
Hooker County14.006.330.290.000.000.860.000.000.001.150.000.00
Arthur County20.922.520.000.000.460.920.000.000.230.230.000.00
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

McPherson County 232.9073.680.000.003.100.000.000.000.000.000.00
Nebraska 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 135.5788.84282.31451.82131.47102.26450.21188.94271.18186.24325.46
Lincoln County 191.1552.9818.4545.7189.7510.830.00109.0724.1113.1115.32
Keith County 151.3528.52113.035.0093.439.680.0096.4026.700.991.90
Logan County 340.690.000.000.0021.310.000.0049.6930.460.000.00
Thomas County 266.31109.520.000.0044.290.000.0027.9722.860.000.00
Hooker County 212.1039.650.000.0010.020.000.000.0041.380.000.00
Arthur County 84.330.000.0062.6610.620.000.0040.258.230.000.00
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

McPherson County 171.7982.940.000.002.360.000.000.000.000.000.00
Nebraska 73.76112.5735.4222.1376.0797.7922.2152.9336.8853.6930.73
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Lincoln County 140.9959.646.5310.1268.2710.590.0057.738.897.044.71
Keith County 111.6432.1140.041.1171.069.470.0051.029.850.530.58
Logan County 251.310.000.000.0016.210.000.0026.3011.230.000.00
Thomas County 196.44123.280.000.0033.690.000.0014.808.430.000.00
Hooker County 156.4544.630.000.007.620.000.000.0015.260.000.00
Arthur County 62.200.000.0013.878.080.000.0021.313.030.000.00
 
Ancestry Report Part II
DescriptionTotal Population Canadian British Dutch French German Italian Polish Scandi­navian Scotish/ Irish Spanish Other European

McPherson County37403313138203234010
Nebraska (in 000's)2,02441081619425283490145590
National (in 000's)343,2511,35018,0691,8283,64224,7089,0274,6675,96920,6251,1409,563
Lincoln County33,546272,3372703717,5002873361,5333,31566972
Keith County8,21256111061691,92112113146566473256
Logan County708052103217462259015
Thomas County629046771790103277012
Hooker County69507010131421003693071
Arthur County437148514123152328014
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

McPherson County21.390.008.820.270.8036.900.530.008.569.090.002.67
Nebraska11.140.215.350.770.9520.981.361.704.457.160.244.43
National7.830.395.260.531.067.202.631.361.746.010.332.79
Lincoln County13.720.086.970.801.1122.360.861.004.579.880.202.90
Keith County13.170.067.441.292.0623.391.471.605.668.090.893.12
Logan County19.320.007.341.410.4230.650.560.853.118.330.002.12
Thomas County16.640.007.311.111.1128.460.001.595.0912.240.001.91
Hooker County14.000.0010.071.441.8720.431.440.005.1813.380.0010.22
Arthur County20.920.2310.981.143.2028.150.231.145.266.410.003.20
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

McPherson County 0.00164.8434.5784.19175.8739.300.00192.18127.020.0060.34
Nebraska 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 190.6498.3468.86111.3534.31193.2979.8439.0683.95137.5262.88
Lincoln County 39.01130.15104.07116.07106.5662.8858.82102.65138.0781.4565.39
Keith County 29.51139.00166.91215.99111.50108.2993.68127.19112.97368.0070.35
Logan County 0.00137.21182.6344.47146.0941.5249.7769.80116.430.0047.81
Thomas County 0.00136.63143.90116.80135.640.0093.36114.27171.040.0043.05
Hooker County 0.00188.17186.05196.3297.39105.750.00116.35186.970.00230.54
Arthur County 110.91205.21147.95336.23134.1616.8267.19118.2289.520.0072.30
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

McPherson County 0.00167.6250.2175.60512.6020.330.00492.06151.300.0095.97
Nebraska 52.45101.68145.2289.81291.4651.74125.25256.03119.1172.72159.05
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Lincoln County 20.46132.34151.13104.24310.5932.5373.67262.81164.4659.23104.00
Keith County 15.48141.34242.38193.97324.9856.03117.33325.64134.57267.60111.89
Logan County 0.00139.52265.2239.94425.7921.4862.33178.70138.690.0076.04
Thomas County 0.00138.93208.97104.89395.340.00116.93292.58203.730.0068.47
Hooker County 0.00191.33270.18176.30283.8454.710.00297.89222.700.00366.67
Arthur County 58.18208.66214.85301.96391.028.7084.15302.68106.630.00114.99
 
Ancestry Report Part III
DescriptionTotal Population Chinese Filipino Japanese Korean Vietnamese South Central Asian South East Asian Other Asian Middle Eastern Other Ancestry Unknown

McPherson County374000000010982
Nebraska (in 000's)2,02465239131147218369
National (in 000's)343,2514,4613,0107931,5411,9135,4521,6431,2291,93147,32251,000
Lincoln County33,546560433143292537513,3857,486
Keith County8,212013510527117881,678
Logan County70800000002035190
Thomas County62900000000033142
Hooker County69500000001034155
Arthur County43700000000013143
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

McPherson County21.390.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.270.002.4121.93
Nebraska11.140.300.230.080.140.450.630.530.220.3610.7918.25
National7.831.300.880.230.450.561.590.480.360.5613.7914.86
Lincoln County13.720.010.180.130.090.130.090.070.110.1510.0922.32
Keith County13.170.000.160.060.120.060.020.090.010.019.6020.43
Logan County19.320.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.280.004.9426.84
Thomas County16.640.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.005.2522.58
Hooker County14.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.140.004.8922.30
Arthur County20.920.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.002.9732.72
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

McPherson County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.00121.420.0022.29120.13
Nebraska 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 438.08375.19283.27311.39125.00250.7690.85162.65157.29127.7281.41
Lincoln County 5.0276.52157.2064.0828.7513.6514.1550.0942.5193.48122.27
Keith County 0.0067.7274.6784.4413.663.8516.185.533.4188.89111.96
Logan County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.00128.280.0045.80147.04
Thomas County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.0048.60123.69
Hooker County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.0065.340.0045.32122.20
Arthur County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.0027.56179.29
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

McPherson County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.0074.650.0017.45147.56
Nebraska 22.8326.6535.3032.1180.0039.88110.0761.4863.5878.30122.84
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Lincoln County 1.1520.3955.4920.5823.005.4415.5730.7927.0373.19150.19
Keith County 0.0018.0526.3627.1210.931.5317.813.402.1769.60137.53
Logan County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.0078.870.0035.86180.62
Thomas County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.0038.05151.94
Hooker County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.0040.170.0035.48150.10
Arthur County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.0021.58220.24


Sources: STI: PopStats, Circa April 2025

Advertisers