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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
Description	Total Population	American	Native American	Hawaiian	Caribbean (Latino)	Mexican	Central American	South American	Other Hispanic	African American	Sub- Saharan	Caribbean (Black)

King George County	29,004	2,019	160	17	462	766	229	210	174	2,873	747	783
Virginia (in 000's)	8,893	582	19	6	172	223	326	155	66	1,026	341	252
National (in 000's)	343,251	13,890	2,213	626	11,327	38,879	6,181	4,644	3,687	25,893	7,852	7,174
Charles County	175,844	3,305	1,084	152	3,546	3,144	4,493	781	727	64,285	11,562	9,477
Stafford County	169,884	8,301	693	238	4,491	7,587	8,978	3,856	1,244	21,918	6,641	3,729
Caroline County	34,009	1,695	186	16	577	507	902	35	230	5,488	1,382	1,313
Westmoreland County	19,463	1,183	69	12	327	661	7	135	19	3,007	834	836
Essex County	10,763	677	54	3	240	45	123	0	2	2,487	636	779

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

King George County	10.61	6.96	0.55	0.06	1.59	2.64	0.79	0.72	0.60	9.91	2.58	2.70
Virginia	8.45	6.55	0.21	0.07	1.93	2.51	3.66	1.74	0.74	11.53	3.83	2.83
National	7.83	4.05	0.64	0.18	3.30	11.33	1.80	1.35	1.07	7.54	2.29	2.09
Charles County	17.92	1.88	0.62	0.09	2.02	1.79	2.56	0.44	0.41	36.56	6.58	5.39
Stafford County	8.61	4.89	0.41	0.14	2.64	4.47	5.28	2.27	0.73	12.90	3.91	2.20
Caroline County	11.75	4.98	0.55	0.05	1.70	1.49	2.65	0.10	0.68	16.14	4.06	3.86
Westmoreland County	11.44	6.08	0.35	0.06	1.68	3.40	0.04	0.69	0.10	15.45	4.29	4.30
Essex County	13.82	6.29	0.50	0.03	2.23	0.42	1.14	0.00	0.02	23.11	5.91	7.24

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

King George County		106.28	258.57	84.52	82.47	105.33	21.55	41.58	80.66	85.89	67.26	95.45
Virginia		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		61.78	302.22	263.16	170.85	451.71	49.15	77.70	144.42	65.41	59.74	73.90
Charles County		28.70	288.94	124.65	104.41	71.30	69.74	25.51	55.59	317.00	171.71	190.55
Stafford County		74.60	191.20	202.03	136.87	178.11	144.24	130.35	98.46	111.87	102.09	77.61
Caroline County		76.10	256.35	67.85	87.84	59.45	72.39	5.91	90.93	139.93	106.12	136.50
Westmoreland County		92.80	166.17	88.91	86.99	135.44	0.98	39.83	13.13	133.97	111.91	151.87
Essex County		96.04	235.16	40.20	115.45	16.67	31.19	0.00	2.50	200.37	154.32	255.90

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

King George County		172.02	85.55	32.12	48.27	23.32	43.84	53.52	55.85	131.31	112.59	129.16
Virginia		161.85	33.09	38.00	58.53	22.14	203.46	128.70	69.24	152.88	167.39	135.32
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Charles County		46.45	95.61	47.37	61.11	15.79	141.89	32.83	38.49	484.62	287.43	257.86
Stafford County		120.75	63.26	76.77	80.11	39.43	293.47	167.77	68.18	171.03	170.89	105.02
Caroline County		123.16	84.82	25.78	51.41	13.16	147.28	7.61	62.96	213.92	177.64	184.72
Westmoreland County		150.20	54.98	33.79	50.91	29.98	2.00	51.27	9.09	204.81	187.32	205.51
Essex County		155.44	77.81	15.27	67.57	3.69	63.46	0.00	1.73	306.31	258.32	346.29

Ancestry Report Part II
Description	Total Population	Canadian	British	Dutch	French	German	Italian	Polish	Scandinavian	Scotish/ Irish	Spanish	Other European

King George County	29,004	29	2,238	200	314	2,034	543	244	367	2,284	186	841
Virginia (in 000's)	8,893	21	591	30	62	457	162	69	77	533	24	218
National (in 000's)	343,251	1,350	18,069	1,828	3,642	24,708	9,027	4,667	5,969	20,625	1,140	9,563
Charles County	175,844	81	6,000	381	551	4,616	1,794	735	709	5,164	148	1,923
Stafford County	169,884	382	8,856	580	1,205	8,934	3,425	1,480	1,578	10,023	530	4,709
Caroline County	34,009	178	2,050	88	422	1,637	715	157	316	1,731	100	776
Westmoreland County	19,463	66	1,311	94	87	969	552	191	106	1,266	0	309
Essex County	10,763	16	845	44	27	269	146	13	56	393	3	75

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

King George County	10.61	0.10	7.72	0.69	1.08	7.01	1.87	0.84	1.27	7.87	0.64	2.90
Virginia	8.45	0.23	6.64	0.33	0.70	5.14	1.82	0.77	0.87	6.00	0.27	2.45
National	7.83	0.39	5.26	0.53	1.06	7.20	2.63	1.36	1.74	6.01	0.33	2.79
Charles County	17.92	0.05	3.41	0.22	0.31	2.63	1.02	0.42	0.40	2.94	0.08	1.09
Stafford County	8.61	0.22	5.21	0.34	0.71	5.26	2.02	0.87	0.93	5.90	0.31	2.77
Caroline County	11.75	0.52	6.03	0.26	1.24	4.81	2.10	0.46	0.93	5.09	0.29	2.28
Westmoreland County	11.44	0.34	6.74	0.48	0.45	4.98	2.84	0.98	0.54	6.50	0.00	1.59
Essex County	13.82	0.15	7.85	0.41	0.25	2.50	1.36	0.12	0.52	3.65	0.03	0.70

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

King George County		42.89	116.20	206.34	154.94	136.50	102.75	108.56	146.21	131.32	239.49	118.56
Virginia		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		168.72	79.27	159.36	151.84	140.11	144.35	175.45	200.93	100.20	124.06	113.92
Charles County		19.76	51.39	64.84	44.84	51.09	56.00	53.94	46.59	48.97	31.43	44.71
Stafford County		96.45	78.51	102.16	101.51	102.36	110.65	112.42	107.33	98.38	116.51	113.34
Caroline County		224.50	90.78	77.43	177.58	93.69	115.39	59.57	107.37	84.88	109.81	93.30
Westmoreland County		145.45	101.44	144.52	63.97	96.91	155.66	126.64	62.93	108.47	0.00	64.91
Essex County		63.76	118.23	122.33	35.90	48.65	74.45	15.59	60.12	60.89	10.41	28.49

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

King George County		25.42	146.58	129.48	102.04	97.42	71.19	61.88	72.77	131.06	193.05	104.07
Virginia		59.27	126.14	62.75	65.86	71.37	69.28	57.00	49.77	99.80	80.61	87.78
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Charles County		11.71	64.82	40.69	29.53	36.47	38.79	30.74	23.19	48.87	25.34	39.25
Stafford County		57.17	99.03	64.11	66.85	73.06	76.66	64.08	53.42	98.19	93.92	99.49
Caroline County		133.06	114.51	48.59	116.95	66.87	79.94	33.95	53.44	84.71	88.52	81.90
Westmoreland County		86.21	127.96	90.69	42.13	69.16	107.84	72.18	31.32	108.25	0.00	56.98
Essex County		37.79	149.14	76.76	23.64	34.72	51.58	8.88	29.92	60.77	8.39	25.01

Ancestry Report Part III
Description	Total Population	Chinese	Filipino	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	South Central Asian	South East Asian	Other Asian	Middle Eastern	Other Ancestry	Unknown

King George County	29,004	51	109	25	51	61	86	13	10	88	4,744	6,046
Virginia (in 000's)	8,893	80	79	12	78	67	223	44	41	74	1,377	1,409
National (in 000's)	343,251	4,461	3,010	793	1,541	1,913	5,452	1,643	1,229	1,931	47,322	51,000
Charles County	175,844	578	2,393	127	266	314	1,522	410	213	209	24,512	20,642
Stafford County	169,884	494	1,512	156	1,273	339	1,550	479	748	1,227	27,585	25,143
Caroline County	34,009	17	176	11	62	9	33	6	33	32	6,918	6,211
Westmoreland County	19,463	12	2	0	9	59	20	3	80	0	3,669	3,568
Essex County	10,763	21	21	2	0	0	16	2	0	37	2,277	1,454

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

King George County	10.61	0.18	0.38	0.09	0.18	0.21	0.30	0.04	0.03	0.30	16.36	20.85
Virginia	8.45	0.89	0.89	0.13	0.87	0.75	2.51	0.50	0.46	0.83	15.48	15.84
National	7.83	1.30	0.88	0.23	0.45	0.56	1.59	0.48	0.36	0.56	13.79	14.86
Charles County	17.92	0.33	1.36	0.07	0.15	0.18	0.87	0.23	0.12	0.12	13.94	11.74
Stafford County	8.61	0.29	0.89	0.09	0.75	0.20	0.91	0.28	0.44	0.72	16.24	14.80
Caroline County	11.75	0.05	0.52	0.03	0.18	0.03	0.10	0.02	0.10	0.09	20.34	18.26
Westmoreland County	11.44	0.06	0.01	0.00	0.05	0.30	0.10	0.02	0.41	0.00	18.85	18.33
Essex County	13.82	0.20	0.20	0.02	0.00	0.00	0.15	0.02	0.00	0.34	21.16	13.51

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

King George County		19.65	42.26	66.12	20.11	27.87	11.81	9.04	7.44	36.36	105.64	131.58
Virginia		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		145.22	98.63	177.18	51.35	73.84	63.27	96.58	77.26	67.41	89.04	93.79
Charles County		36.73	153.04	55.40	17.30	23.66	34.48	47.05	26.13	14.24	90.03	74.10
Stafford County		32.49	100.09	70.44	85.69	26.44	36.35	56.90	94.97	86.55	104.87	93.42
Caroline County		5.59	58.20	24.81	20.85	3.51	3.87	3.56	20.93	11.28	131.38	115.28
Westmoreland County		6.89	1.16	0.00	5.29	40.16	4.09	3.11	88.66	0.00	121.75	115.72
Essex County		21.80	21.94	14.25	0.00	0.00	5.92	3.75	0.00	41.20	136.64	85.27

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

King George County		13.53	42.85	37.32	39.16	37.74	18.67	9.36	9.63	53.94	118.64	140.30
Virginia		68.86	101.39	56.44	194.73	135.43	158.05	103.54	129.44	148.36	112.31	106.63
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Charles County		25.29	155.17	31.27	33.69	32.04	54.49	48.71	33.82	21.13	101.11	79.01
Stafford County		22.37	101.48	39.75	166.87	35.81	57.44	58.91	122.93	128.41	117.78	99.61
Caroline County		3.85	59.01	14.00	40.60	4.75	6.11	3.69	27.09	16.73	147.55	122.92
Westmoreland County		4.74	1.17	0.00	10.30	54.40	6.47	3.22	114.76	0.00	136.74	123.38
Essex County		15.01	22.25	8.04	0.00	0.00	9.36	3.88	0.00	61.12	153.45	90.92

Sources: STI: PopStats, Circa April 2025

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