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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:

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)

Adams County2,17289172263000482
North Dakota (in 000's)8021936152322312132
National (in 000's)343,25113,8902,21362611,32738,8796,1814,6443,68725,8937,8527,174
Corson County3,789602,5690422004040
Perkins County2,816226613031000000
Bowman County2,890158364151001403000
Sioux County3,77313,1550047004310
Hettinger County2,4316142516028501
Grant County2,271131290121010600
Harding County1,32788390129000814
Slope County648363003000000
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

Adams County17.404.100.780.090.092.900.000.000.000.180.370.09
North Dakota14.072.374.510.100.572.870.290.240.381.471.570.22
National7.834.050.640.183.3011.331.801.351.077.542.292.09
Corson County49.461.5867.800.000.110.580.000.000.110.000.110.00
Perkins County18.408.032.170.110.001.100.000.000.000.000.000.00
Bowman County17.995.471.250.140.523.460.480.000.100.000.000.00
Sioux County71.070.0383.620.000.001.250.000.000.110.080.030.00
Hettinger County25.932.511.730.210.040.250.000.080.330.210.000.04
Grant County28.365.771.280.000.040.920.000.040.000.260.000.00
Harding County13.376.632.940.000.082.190.000.000.000.600.080.30
Slope County21.545.560.460.000.000.460.000.000.000.000.000.00
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Adams County 173.0917.3493.0516.03101.140.000.000.0012.5523.4042.39
North Dakota 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 170.9314.28184.40574.32394.94615.61555.25285.44514.09145.30962.09
Corson County 66.891,501.730.0018.3720.250.000.0028.060.006.710.00
Perkins County 339.0147.98107.650.0038.390.000.000.000.000.000.00
Bowman County 230.9427.59139.8690.33120.65165.600.0027.590.000.000.00
Sioux County 1.121,852.110.000.0043.440.000.0028.175.421.680.00
Hettinger County 105.9938.27207.837.168.610.0033.7687.4614.020.0018.94
Grant County 243.6628.280.007.6632.240.0018.070.0018.010.000.00
Harding County 280.1265.090.0013.1276.200.000.000.0041.084.79138.75
Slope County 234.6710.250.000.0016.140.000.000.000.000.000.00
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Adams County 101.26121.3950.462.7925.610.000.000.002.4416.104.41
North Dakota 58.50700.2154.2317.4125.3216.2418.0135.0319.4568.8210.39
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Corson County 39.1310,515.300.003.205.130.000.009.830.004.610.00
Perkins County 198.33335.9558.380.009.720.000.000.000.000.000.00
Bowman County 135.10193.1975.8515.7330.5526.900.009.660.000.000.00
Sioux County 0.6512,968.650.000.0011.000.000.009.871.051.160.00
Hettinger County 62.01267.95112.711.252.180.006.0830.642.730.001.97
Grant County 142.55198.040.001.338.160.003.250.003.500.000.00
Harding County 163.88455.800.002.2819.290.000.000.007.993.2914.42
Slope County 137.2971.800.000.004.090.000.000.000.000.000.00
 
Ancestry Report Part II
DescriptionTotal Population Canadian British Dutch French German Italian Polish Scandi­navian Scotish/ Irish Spanish Other European

Adams County2,17228424186851826446880113
North Dakota (in 000's)8024235111955915035225
National (in 000's)343,2511,35018,0691,8283,64224,7089,0274,6675,96920,6251,1409,563
Corson County3,78901345259014438013
Perkins County2,81641323128945215488191358
Bowman County2,89059515227962010174187078
Sioux County3,77315067701127110
Hettinger County2,43139214271,10114122431130156
Grant County2,27118418101,1135622263089
Harding County1,3274602755240157302118017
Slope County6482492223701310934019
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

Adams County17.400.093.871.100.8331.540.831.2020.534.050.005.20
North Dakota14.070.472.880.571.3824.280.631.1718.694.410.303.13
National7.830.395.260.531.067.202.631.361.746.010.332.79
Corson County49.460.000.340.110.136.840.000.031.161.000.000.34
Perkins County18.400.144.691.100.9933.560.750.1817.336.780.112.06
Bowman County17.990.173.290.520.7627.540.693.4925.643.010.002.70
Sioux County71.070.030.130.000.162.040.000.030.320.190.030.27
Hettinger County25.930.123.780.581.1145.290.580.4910.004.650.006.42
Grant County28.360.791.810.350.4449.010.220.269.782.770.003.92
Harding County13.370.304.522.034.1418.091.130.5322.768.890.001.28
Slope County21.540.317.560.310.3136.570.002.0116.825.250.002.93
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Adams County 19.61134.49193.9960.03129.91131.33102.33109.8891.820.00166.10
North Dakota 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 83.76183.0693.5076.8529.65416.76116.229.30136.18110.5488.95
Corson County 0.0011.9318.539.5628.160.002.266.2122.730.0010.95
Perkins County 30.25163.01193.2772.02138.23118.1815.1892.73153.7235.4565.76
Bowman County 36.84114.3291.1255.14113.45109.67298.74137.2068.230.0086.17
Sioux County 5.644.610.0011.528.410.002.271.704.208.828.46
Hettinger County 26.28131.61101.1180.45186.5591.2642.2053.49105.350.00204.88
Grant County 168.7762.7861.8531.89201.8734.8922.5852.3162.870.00125.12
Harding County 64.18157.24357.21300.2174.50179.1345.09121.78201.530.0040.90
Slope County 65.72262.9754.1922.36150.650.00171.4990.01118.920.0093.61
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Adams County 23.4173.47207.4978.11438.1331.5188.041,180.9067.430.00186.73
North Dakota 119.4054.63106.96130.13337.2723.9986.041,074.7573.4390.46112.42
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Corson County 0.006.5219.8212.4494.960.001.9466.7816.690.0012.31
Perkins County 36.1189.05206.7193.72466.2028.3613.06996.61112.8832.0773.93
Bowman County 43.9862.4597.4671.75382.6426.31257.051,474.5550.100.0096.87
Sioux County 6.742.520.0014.9928.350.001.9518.293.097.989.51
Hettinger County 31.3771.89108.14104.68629.1821.9036.31574.8677.360.00230.32
Grant County 201.5034.3066.1541.50680.858.3719.43562.1846.170.00140.66
Harding County 76.6385.89382.06390.65251.2542.9838.801,308.80147.990.0045.98
Slope County 78.47143.6557.9629.09508.100.00147.56967.3687.320.00105.24
 
Ancestry Report Part III
DescriptionTotal Population Chinese Filipino Japanese Korean Vietnamese South Central Asian South East Asian Other Asian Middle Eastern Other Ancestry Unknown

Adams County2,1720000000270168286
North Dakota (in 000's)80223011411259146
National (in 000's)343,2514,4613,0107931,5411,9135,4521,6431,2291,93147,32251,000
Corson County3,789000000010064693
Perkins County2,8160100000000139440
Bowman County2,890000000090103488
Sioux County3,77300100000038952
Hettinger County2,43100000500068452
Grant County2,2711290032000114358
Harding County1,327000000000102210
Slope County6480000000009130
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

Adams County17.400.000.000.000.000.000.000.001.240.007.7313.17
North Dakota14.070.210.360.050.170.130.450.090.190.257.3918.21
National7.831.300.880.230.450.561.590.480.360.5613.7914.86
Corson County49.460.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.260.0017.052.45
Perkins County18.400.000.360.000.000.000.000.000.000.004.9415.63
Bowman County17.990.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.310.003.5616.89
Sioux County71.070.000.000.030.000.000.000.000.000.0010.311.38
Hettinger County25.930.000.000.000.000.000.210.000.000.002.8018.59
Grant County28.360.041.280.000.000.130.090.000.000.005.0215.76
Harding County13.370.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.007.6915.83
Slope County21.540.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.001.3920.06
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Adams County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.00666.240.00104.7172.30
North Dakota 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 628.53244.15448.73256.61437.07353.98504.62191.96226.54186.6381.58
Corson County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.00141.450.00230.8013.48
Perkins County 0.0098.860.000.000.000.000.000.000.0066.8285.79
Bowman County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.00166.910.0048.2592.72
Sioux County 0.000.0051.490.000.000.000.000.000.00139.577.57
Hettinger County 0.000.000.000.000.0045.840.000.000.0037.87102.09
Grant County 21.30355.500.000.00103.6019.630.000.000.0067.9586.56
Harding County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.00104.0586.89
Slope County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.0018.80110.15
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Adams County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.00347.070.0056.1088.62
North Dakota 15.9140.9622.2938.9722.8828.2519.8252.0944.1453.58122.58
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Corson County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.0073.690.00123.6716.52
Perkins County 0.0040.490.000.000.000.000.000.000.0035.80105.16
Bowman County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.0086.950.0025.85113.65
Sioux County 0.000.0011.470.000.000.000.000.000.0074.789.28
Hettinger County 0.000.000.000.000.0012.950.000.000.0020.29125.14
Grant County 3.39145.600.000.0023.705.540.000.000.0036.41106.10
Harding County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.0055.75106.51
Slope County 0.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.0010.07135.02


Sources: STI: PopStats, Circa April 2025

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