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Benton 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:

18.90

Most common ancestry not including "Unknown" is:

American

 
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)

Benton County16,2395,210433821732901151558367
Tennessee (in 000's)7,29778315468282993525756199159
National (in 000's)343,25113,8902,21362611,32738,8796,1814,6443,68725,8937,8527,174
Henry County32,9089,75063817254729120631,429509415
Carroll County29,1058,25773643659959691,580532451
Humphreys County19,7023,8404201642111151573047278
Stewart County14,4682,17574130220171311114827
Decatur County11,8012,161861102053902813113056
Perry County9,0522,273572110714072484929
Houston County8,6711,4192576114481441326241
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

Benton County18.9032.080.260.020.501.070.180.000.710.950.510.41
Tennessee11.4610.740.210.050.943.861.350.480.3410.362.722.18
National7.834.050.640.183.3011.331.801.351.077.542.292.09
Henry County16.4429.630.190.020.521.660.090.360.194.341.551.26
Carroll County16.4528.370.250.020.152.260.030.200.245.431.831.55
Humphreys County18.6719.490.210.000.831.070.060.260.291.540.370.40
Stewart County17.7315.030.510.010.211.520.010.050.910.770.330.19
Decatur County20.1018.310.070.050.931.740.330.000.241.111.100.47
Perry County19.1225.110.630.020.011.180.150.000.800.530.540.32
Houston County21.2216.360.290.080.701.660.090.160.051.520.720.47
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Benton County 298.82126.7336.3753.9627.6013.200.00206.519.2218.7818.93
Tennessee 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 37.69308.58359.30352.66293.42133.09283.13313.2172.8484.0495.89
Henry County 275.9691.6247.8755.8643.066.5176.3155.8341.9356.8357.86
Carroll County 264.24120.0440.5915.7958.662.2942.4269.1352.4267.1571.10
Humphreys County 181.53102.020.0088.9627.744.1354.1784.3714.9013.4318.16
Stewart County 140.02244.7813.6122.1639.390.5110.12264.047.4112.198.56
Decatur County 170.5632.44100.1199.6245.0024.420.0069.1910.7240.4721.77
Perry County 233.88301.3643.501.1830.6211.430.00231.955.1219.8914.70
Houston County 152.42137.98158.9575.1843.026.8233.7913.4514.7026.2721.69
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Benton County 792.8341.0710.1215.309.419.920.0065.9312.6522.3419.74
Tennessee 265.3232.4127.8328.3634.0875.1435.3231.93137.29118.99104.28
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Henry County 732.1629.6913.3215.8414.684.8926.9517.8257.5667.6260.34
Carroll County 701.0638.9011.304.4819.991.7214.9822.0771.9679.9174.14
Humphreys County 481.6433.060.0025.229.463.1019.1326.9420.4515.9818.94
Stewart County 371.5079.323.796.2813.430.383.5884.3010.1714.508.93
Decatur County 452.5210.5127.8628.2515.3418.350.0022.0914.7248.1622.70
Perry County 620.5297.6612.110.3310.448.590.0074.057.0323.6615.33
Houston County 404.4044.7144.2421.3214.665.1211.934.2920.1831.2622.62
 
Ancestry Report Part II
DescriptionTotal Population Canadian British Dutch French German Italian Polish Scandi­navian Scotish/ Irish Spanish Other European

Benton County16,239311,204691948391471031041,318136252
Tennessee (in 000's)7,29715599345637990415657312148
National (in 000's)343,2511,35018,0691,8283,64224,7089,0274,6675,96920,6251,1409,563
Henry County32,908853,1741612581,4243072101952,87728321
Carroll County29,105452,558972651,064300451122,1818353
Humphreys County19,702591,991951757301311661542,14717352
Stewart County14,468171,409165158961103491881,49153433
Decatur County11,80141,02941755392067761,1240249
Perry County9,05218583656361830274359637169
Houston County8,671955760643658294369660152
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

Benton County18.900.197.410.421.195.170.910.630.648.120.841.55
Tennessee11.460.218.210.470.775.191.230.560.777.850.172.03
National7.830.395.260.531.067.202.631.361.746.010.332.79
Henry County16.440.269.650.490.784.330.930.640.598.740.090.98
Carroll County16.450.158.790.330.913.661.030.150.387.490.031.21
Humphreys County18.670.3010.110.480.893.710.660.840.7810.900.091.79
Stewart County17.730.129.741.141.096.640.710.341.3010.310.372.99
Decatur County20.100.038.720.350.644.571.750.060.649.520.002.11
Perry County19.120.206.440.720.706.830.330.300.486.580.411.87
Houston County21.220.106.420.690.744.210.951.080.4211.140.001.75
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Benton County 90.8890.3690.98155.2999.6073.36113.3783.32103.39498.1376.33
Tennessee 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 187.2664.15114.04137.92138.76213.15243.02226.2376.55197.58137.05
Henry County 122.97117.54104.76101.9183.4275.61114.0777.10111.3750.6147.98
Carroll County 73.61107.1171.36118.3670.4783.5427.6450.0795.4616.3559.66
Humphreys County 142.57123.15103.25115.4671.4353.89150.60101.70138.8251.3287.88
Stewart County 55.94118.68244.21141.96128.0457.7060.54169.06131.28217.89147.22
Decatur County 16.14106.2674.4082.6188.05141.4710.6083.79121.340.00103.79
Perry County 94.6778.49153.7690.47131.6126.8653.3261.8083.88243.1291.84
Houston County 49.4178.28148.1795.9581.1476.64193.7754.02141.920.0086.23
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Benton County 48.53140.8579.79112.6071.7834.4246.6536.83135.08252.1155.70
Tennessee 53.40155.8887.6972.5172.0746.9241.1544.20130.6450.6172.97
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Henry County 65.67183.2391.8773.9060.1135.4746.9434.08145.5025.6135.01
Carroll County 39.31166.9662.5885.8250.7939.1911.3722.13124.718.2743.53
Humphreys County 76.13191.9790.5483.7251.4725.2861.9744.95181.3625.9764.13
Stewart County 29.87185.00214.15102.9392.2827.0724.9174.73171.51110.28107.42
Decatur County 8.62165.6465.2459.9063.4566.374.3637.04158.510.0075.73
Perry County 50.55122.35134.8465.6094.8512.6021.9427.32109.58123.0567.01
Houston County 26.39122.03129.9369.5758.4835.9679.7323.88185.410.0062.92
 
Ancestry Report Part III
DescriptionTotal Population Chinese Filipino Japanese Korean Vietnamese South Central Asian South East Asian Other Asian Middle Eastern Other Ancestry Unknown

Benton County16,2396819000023571,8713,880
Tennessee (in 000's)7,297211651212441910291,0101,692
National (in 000's)343,2514,4613,0107931,5411,9135,4521,6431,2291,93147,32251,000
Henry County32,9081976116061137103,8986,644
Carroll County29,10529206027737203,9076,304
Humphreys County19,70236111620245322,1456,602
Stewart County14,4680006305011441,5464,947
Decatur County11,801017000520501,1164,387
Perry County9,0520120004508111,3142,761
Houston County8,67100100151859333,406
 
Per Cent to Total PopulationDiversity
Index
 

Benton County18.900.420.120.000.000.000.000.010.220.0411.5223.89
Tennessee11.460.290.210.060.160.170.610.260.140.4013.8423.19
National7.831.300.880.230.450.561.590.480.360.5613.7914.86
Henry County16.440.060.230.000.050.000.190.000.110.0311.8520.19
Carroll County16.450.100.010.000.020.000.090.020.130.0713.4221.66
Humphreys County18.670.180.060.080.010.000.010.020.030.1610.8933.51
Stewart County17.730.000.000.000.440.000.030.000.080.3010.6934.19
Decatur County20.100.000.140.000.000.000.440.000.040.009.4637.17
Perry County19.120.000.130.000.000.000.500.000.090.1214.5230.50
Houston County21.220.000.000.010.000.000.170.010.090.0610.7639.28
 
Comparisons to State Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Benton County 144.2554.970.000.000.000.004.72154.9210.7983.28103.04
Tennessee 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
National 447.69412.02355.96277.75337.47261.57183.56257.44140.8199.6564.08
Henry County 19.89108.504.6830.070.0030.531.1780.817.6185.6287.07
Carroll County 34.323.230.0012.750.0015.289.2291.3717.2097.0393.41
Humphreys County 62.9426.23125.156.280.001.677.7918.2440.6678.69144.52
Stewart County 0.000.000.00269.340.005.690.0054.6576.1377.24147.46
Decatur County 0.0067.680.000.000.0072.570.0030.450.0068.35160.32
Perry County 0.0062.280.000.000.0081.870.0063.5230.42104.92131.54
Houston County 0.000.0017.770.000.0028.494.4266.3114.4477.77169.41
 
Comparisons to National Norms % to Total >= 150% % to Total < 50% 

Benton County 32.2213.340.000.000.000.002.5760.187.6683.57160.81
Tennessee 22.3424.2728.0936.0029.6338.2354.4838.8471.02100.35156.06
National 100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Henry County 4.4426.331.3210.830.0011.670.6331.395.4085.92135.88
Carroll County 7.670.780.004.590.005.845.0235.4912.2297.37145.78
Humphreys County 14.066.3735.162.260.000.644.247.0928.8878.97225.53
Stewart County 0.000.000.0096.970.002.180.0021.2354.0777.51230.13
Decatur County 0.0016.430.000.000.0027.740.0011.830.0068.60250.20
Perry County 0.0015.120.000.000.0031.300.0024.6821.61105.29205.29
Houston County 0.000.004.990.000.0010.892.4125.7610.2578.05264.37


Sources: STI: PopStats, Circa April 2025