Ancestry of U.S. Population

[Darts]

For the longest time I thought the Irish were the second largest ethnic group in the U.S. According to the chart below they slipped to 4th by 2015. The Scotch-Irish (aka "Orangemen") have their own category in the 2000 chart. Surprised the French Canadian group isn't larger.
Ancestry of U.S. Population by Rank
Discover the top 20 ancestry groups in the U.S.

2000 Results
Rank​	Ancestry group	Population​
1​	German​	42,841,569​
2​	Irish​	30,524,799​
3​	Black/African-American1 (non-Hispanic)​	24,903,412​
4​	English​	24,509,692​
5​	American1​	20,188,305​
6​	Mexican​	18,382,291​
7​	Italian​	15,638,348​
8​	Polish​	8,977,235​
9​	French​	8,309,666​
10​	American Indian1​	7,876,568​
11​	Scottish​	4,890,581​
12​	Dutch​	4,541,770​
13​	Norwegian​	4,477,725​
14​	Scotch-Irish​	4,319,232​
15​	Swedish​	3,998,310​
16​	White1​	3,834,122​
17​	Puerto Rican​	2,652,598​
18​	Russian​	2,652,214​
19​	Hispanic1​	2,451,109​
20​	French Canadian​	2,349,684​

2015 Results
Rank	Ancestry Group	Population
1	German	46,403,053
2	Black/African-American1(non-Hispanic)	38,785,726
3	Mexican(of any race)	34,640,287
4	Irish	33,526,444
5	English	24,787,018
6	American1	22,746,991
7	Italian	17,285,619
8	Polish	9,385,766
9	French	8,272,538
10	Scottish	5,409,343
11	Puerto Rican	5,174,554
12	Norwegian	4,445,030
13	Dutch	4,289,116
14	Swedish	3,933,024
15	Chinese	3,852,099
16	Asian Indian	3,303,512
17	Scotch-Irish	3,046,005
18	Russian	2,843,400
19	West Indian(non-Hispanic)	2,824,722
20	Filipino	2,717,844

NOTES: Ancestry is a broad concept that can mean different things to different people. The ancestry groups listed on this table were self-identified. The Census Bureau defines ancestry as a person's ethnic origin, heritage, descent, or ??roots,? which may reflect their place of birth, place of birth of parents or ancestors, and ethnic identities that have evolved within the United States. Many respondents listed more than one area of ancestry; the sum of the persons reporting the ancestry is greater than the total. Overall, about 500 different ancestries were reported during Census 2000.

1. Group may encompass several ancestries not listed separately
.
2. Data is from American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2010-2014.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Ancestry: 2000, issued June 2004; 2015American Community Survey.

Ancestry of U.S. Population by Rank (infoplease.com)

 

[unassuming]

Do you have a Canadian ranking?

 

[Darts]

The French Canadians in the U.S. are primarily along the Easter Seaboard. In my travels I met quite a few Americans with French surnames who didn't speak a word of French.
How the French-Canadian Textile Worker Came to New England - New England Historical Society

 

[JeanGary Diablo]

For the longest time I thought the Irish were the second largest ethnic group in the U.S. According to the chart below they slipped to 4th by 2015. The Scotch-Irish (aka "Orangemen") have their own category in the 2000 chart. Surprised the French Canadian group isn't larger.
Ancestry of U.S. Population by Rank
Discover the top 20 ancestry groups in the U.S.

Rank​	Ancestry group	Population​
2000 Results
1​	German​	42,841,569​
2​	Irish​	30,524,799​
3​	Black/African-American1 (non-Hispanic)​	24,903,412​
4​	English​	24,509,692​
5​	American1​	20,188,305​
6​	Mexican​	18,382,291​
7​	Italian​	15,638,348​
8​	Polish​	8,977,235​
9​	French​	8,309,666​
10​	American Indian1​	7,876,568​
11​	Scottish​	4,890,581​
12​	Dutch​	4,541,770​
13​	Norwegian​	4,477,725​
14​	Scotch-Irish​	4,319,232​
15​	Swedish​	3,998,310​
16​	White1​	3,834,122​
17​	Puerto Rican​	2,652,598​
18​	Russian​	2,652,214​
19​	Hispanic1​	2,451,109​
20​	French Canadian​	2,349,684​

Rank	Ancestry Group	Population
2015 Results
1	German	46,403,053
2	Black/African-American1(non-Hispanic)	38,785,726
3	Mexican(of any race)	34,640,287
4	Irish	33,526,444
5	English	24,787,018
6	American1	22,746,991
7	Italian	17,285,619
8	Polish	9,385,766
9	French	8,272,538
10	Scottish	5,409,343
11	Puerto Rican	5,174,554
12	Norwegian	4,445,030
13	Dutch	4,289,116
14	Swedish	3,933,024
15	Chinese	3,852,099
16	Asian Indian	3,303,512
17	Scotch-Irish	3,046,005
18	Russian	2,843,400
19	West Indian(non-Hispanic)	2,824,722
20	Filipino	2,717,844

NOTES: Ancestry is a broad concept that can mean different things to different people. The ancestry groups listed on this table were self-identified. The Census Bureau defines ancestry as a person's ethnic origin, heritage, descent, or ??roots,? which may reflect their place of birth, place of birth of parents or ancestors, and ethnic identities that have evolved within the United States. Many respondents listed more than one area of ancestry; the sum of the persons reporting the ancestry is greater than the total. Overall, about 500 different ancestries were reported during Census 2000.

1. Group may encompass several ancestries not listed separately
.
2. Data is from American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2010-2014.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Ancestry: 2000, issued June 2004; 2015American Community Survey.

Ancestry of U.S. Population by Rank (infoplease.com)

Meanwhile in Canada, the ethnic origins of Canadians -- or at least the rankings -- are quite different. Not surprisingly, there's a stronger presence of English, Scottish and French in Canada; what IS somewhat surprising is that substantially more Canadians claim their ancestry as "Canadian" than do Americans claim their ancestry to be "American".

I say this is surprising because the USA has always fashioned itself as a melting pot, whereas Canada has fashioned itself as a "mosaic". Don't know about the Americans, but I would guess the Canadians referring to their ancestry as "Canadian" are probably of either British Isles or French stock or some mix of the two.

 

[JeanGary Diablo]

Do you have a Canadian ranking?

I just posted the Canadian rankings.

 

[Darts]

Do you have a Canadian ranking?

I spent my childhood and early adulthood in Quebec. Obviously, Francophones were the largest group. However, there were many French-Irish and Italian-Irish and French-Italian inter-marriages. Also, many Catholic Irish children orphaned by the potato famines in Ireland were adopted by Quebec Catholic French Canadian families.
Ethnic origins of people in Canada - Wikipedia

 

[Darts]

Many Ukrainians live in western Canada because the land is similar to Ukraine. Met many of them when I lived in Calgary.

 

[shack]

The chart only adds up to about 230M people out of 350M.

Leaving out 1/3 of the population renders the chart relatively meaningless.

 

[Robert Mugabe]

For the longest time I thought the Irish were the second largest ethnic group in the U.S. According to the chart below they slipped to 4th by 2015. The Scotch-Irish (aka "Orangemen") have their own category in the 2000 chart. Surprised the French Canadian group isn't larger.
Ancestry of U.S. Population by Rank
Discover the top 20 ancestry groups in the U.S.

Rank​	Ancestry group	Population​
2000 Results
1​	German​	42,841,569​
2​	Irish​	30,524,799​
3​	Black/African-American1 (non-Hispanic)​	24,903,412​
4​	English​	24,509,692​
5​	American1​	20,188,305​
6​	Mexican​	18,382,291​
7​	Italian​	15,638,348​
8​	Polish​	8,977,235​
9​	French​	8,309,666​
10​	American Indian1​	7,876,568​
11​	Scottish​	4,890,581​
12​	Dutch​	4,541,770​
13​	Norwegian​	4,477,725​
14​	Scotch-Irish​	4,319,232​
15​	Swedish​	3,998,310​
16​	White1​	3,834,122​
17​	Puerto Rican​	2,652,598​
18​	Russian​	2,652,214​
19​	Hispanic1​	2,451,109​
20​	French Canadian​	2,349,684​

Rank	Ancestry Group	Population
2015 Results
1	German	46,403,053
2	Black/African-American1(non-Hispanic)	38,785,726
3	Mexican(of any race)	34,640,287
4	Irish	33,526,444
5	English	24,787,018
6	American1	22,746,991
7	Italian	17,285,619
8	Polish	9,385,766
9	French	8,272,538
10	Scottish	5,409,343
11	Puerto Rican	5,174,554
12	Norwegian	4,445,030
13	Dutch	4,289,116
14	Swedish	3,933,024
15	Chinese	3,852,099
16	Asian Indian	3,303,512
17	Scotch-Irish	3,046,005
18	Russian	2,843,400
19	West Indian(non-Hispanic)	2,824,722
20	Filipino	2,717,844

NOTES: Ancestry is a broad concept that can mean different things to different people. The ancestry groups listed on this table were self-identified. The Census Bureau defines ancestry as a person's ethnic origin, heritage, descent, or ??roots,? which may reflect their place of birth, place of birth of parents or ancestors, and ethnic identities that have evolved within the United States. Many respondents listed more than one area of ancestry; the sum of the persons reporting the ancestry is greater than the total. Overall, about 500 different ancestries were reported during Census 2000.

1. Group may encompass several ancestries not listed separately
.
2. Data is from American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2010-2014.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Ancestry: 2000, issued June 2004; 2015American Community Survey.

Ancestry of U.S. Population by Rank (infoplease.com)

Number 1 category explains a lot.

 

[Micber]

The US kicked out the French and they ended up in New Brunswick.

I am surprised about the Germans in #1 spot. Well not that surprised, USA is afterall a fascist country.

 

[Darts]

Number 1 category explains a lot.

Take a look at the list of notable German Americans.
German Americans - Wikipedia

 

[Darts]

The US kicked out the French and they ended up in New Brunswick.

"The history of the Acadians was significantly influenced by the six colonial wars that took place in Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries (see the four French and Indian Wars, Father Rale's War and Father Le Loutre's War). Eventually, the last of the colonial wars—the French and Indian War—resulted in the British Expulsion of the Acadians from the region."
History of the Acadians - Wikipedia

 

[curr3n_c1000]

Mexican went from 34 million to 18 million?

I think it's safe to say this is flawed.

 

[Darts]

Mexican went from 34 million to 18 million?

Actually, they went from 18 to 34.

 

[curr3n_c1000]

Actually, they went from 18 to 34.

I see now I was looking at 2000 as 2020.

 

[eddie kerr]

Many Ukrainians live in western Canada because the land is similar to Ukraine. Met many of them when I lived in Calgary.

Reason that many Ukrainians are found mainly in Manitoba and Saskatchewan goes back to the late 1800s when the Canadian Government offered them Free land if they would immigrate to those provinces and become full time farmers. My grandparents on both my parents side came to Canada, both had about 10 children each and most stayed out west to also become farmers. Many married within their race as my parents did. I was born in western Manitoba and my parents were the first of all their siblings to move to Toronto while the majority of my aunts and uncles and their children remained out west and continue to farm the land.

 

[Darts]

Reason that many Ukrainians are found mainly in Manitoba and Saskatchewan goes back to the late 1800s when the Canadian Government offered them Free land if they would immigrate to those provinces and become full time farmers.

Quite a few of the children of these immigrants found their way to the NHL.
UKE | The Untold story of Hockey Legends (ukedocumentary.com)

 

[eddie kerr]

Quite a few of the children of these immigrants found their way to the NHL.
UKE | The Untold story of Hockey Legends (ukedocumentary.com)

My first hockey hero was Gordie Howe who was born in Floral Sask. but I don't think he was Ukranian but there were as you say, many made it to the NHL. IMO, Howe was the best ALL ROUND hockey player ever, the toughest, meanest, dirtiest and never lost a fight.

 

[jcpro]

Something to remember that many, many of the naturalized Canadians resist putting anything but "Canadian " on the census forms and strongly oppose the hyphenated designations.

 

[Darts]

My first hockey hero was Gordie Howe who was born in Floral Sask.
(Excellent choice). but I don't think he was Ukranian (agree) but there were as you say, many made it to the NHL(agree). IMO, Howe was the best ALL ROUND hockey player ever, the toughest, meanest, dirtiest and never lost a fight. (tough not to agree)

Gordie Howe was a product of the Detroit System. I heard it was very successful in the 1950's. A worthy competitor of the Montreal System.

BTW: When I lived in Calgary 3 lifetimes ago, I used to play 'beer league" hockey with the boys. Some of those boys were Ukrainian farm boys and they were rough and tough.