The top ten

Updated March 24, 2017 | Factmonster Staff Updated by an Factmonster Editor on March 24, 2017

December 10 - 17

Ancestry of U.S. Population by Rank

(Groups with populations exceeding one million)

Rank	Ethnicity	Number
1.	German	47,901,779
2.	Irish	34,669,616
3.	English	25,926,451
4.	American	19,975,875
5.	Italian	17,235,941
6.	Polish	9,569,207
7.	French	8,761,496
8.	Scottish	5,460,679
9.	Dutch	4,645,131
10.	Norwegian	4,470,081

Note: 2010 Census figures. 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.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey.