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The most common ancestries in every US state

Self-reported ancestries in America include Italian, German, and Mexican heritage (David Zalubowski/AP)
Self-reported ancestries in America include Italian, German, and Mexican heritage (David Zalubowski/AP)
Business Insider

Americans come from all over the world, and have countless stories about where they and their families come from.

The US Census Bureau's American Community Survey asks millions of Americans every year several questions about their economic, social, and demographic situations. One of those questions asks respondents to report their families' ancestries, from Italian to German to Mexican.

Using that self-reported ancestry data from the Minnesota Population Center's 2016 American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, we were able to find the most commonly self-reported ancestries in each state.

Here's the most common self-reported ancestry in each state and DC:

Most common ancestry in every state - Business Insider/Andy Kiersz, data from IPUMS-USAMost common ancestry in every state, data from IPUMS-USA

And here are the three most common self-reported ancestries in each state:

Alabama

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: United States

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Alaska

Alaska - Rocky Grimes/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: American Indian

Second most-common ancestry: German

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Arizona

Most common self-reported ancestry: Mexican

Second most-common ancestry: German

Third most-common ancestry: English

Arkansas

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: United States

Third most-common ancestry: White/Caucasian

California

Most common self-reported ancestry: Mexican

Second most-common ancestry: German

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Colorado

Colorado - welcomia/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Mexican

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Connecticut​

Most common self-reported ancestry: Italian

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: Puerto Rican

Delaware

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: United States

District of Columbia

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: Other

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Florida

Most common self-reported ancestry: United States

Second most-common ancestry: African-American

Third most-common ancestry: German

Georgia

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: United States

Third most-common ancestry: English

Hawaii

Hawaii - Izabela23/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: Filipino

Second most-common ancestry: Japanese

Third most-common ancestry: Hawaiian

Idaho

Most common self-reported ancestry: English

Second most-common ancestry: German

Third most-common ancestry: White/Caucasian

Illinois

Illinois - Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: African-American

Third most-common ancestry: Mexican

Indiana

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: United States

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Iowa

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: English

Kansas

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: English

Kentucky

Most common self-reported ancestry: United States

Second most-common ancestry: German

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Louisiana

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: French

Third most-common ancestry: United States

Maine

Maine - cdrin/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: English

Second most-common ancestry: French

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Maryland

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: German

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Massachusetts

Massachusetts - Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: Irish

Second most-common ancestry: Italian

Third most-common ancestry: English

Michigan

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: African-American

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Minnesota

Minnesota - f11photo/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Norwegian

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Mississippi

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: United States

Third most-common ancestry: White/Caucasian

Missouri

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: African-American

Third most-common ancestry: United States

Montana

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: American Indian

Nebraska

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: Mexican

Nevada

Nevada - f11photo/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: Mexican

Second most-common ancestry: German

Third most-common ancestry: African-American

New Hampshire

Most common self-reported ancestry: Irish

Second most-common ancestry: English

Third most-common ancestry: French

New Jersey

Most common self-reported ancestry: Italian

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: African-American

New Mexico

New Mexico - Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: Mexican

Second most-common ancestry: American Indian

Third most-common ancestry: Hispanic

New York

Most common self-reported ancestry: Italian

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: African-American

North Carolina

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: United States

Third most-common ancestry: English

North Dakota

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Norwegian

Third most-common ancestry: American Indian

Ohio

Ohio - photo.ua / Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: African-American

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Oklahoma

Most common self-reported ancestry: American Indian

Second most-common ancestry: German

Third most-common ancestry: White/Caucasian

Oregon

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: English

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania - f11photo/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: Italian

Rhode Island

Most common self-reported ancestry: Italian

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: Portuguese

South Carolina

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: United States

Third most-common ancestry: German

South Dakota

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Norwegian

Third most-common ancestry: American Indian

Tennessee

Tennessee - Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: United States

Second most-common ancestry: African-American

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Texas

Most common self-reported ancestry: Mexican

Second most-common ancestry: African-American

Third most-common ancestry: German

Utah

Most common self-reported ancestry: English

Second most-common ancestry: German

Third most-common ancestry: Mexican

Vermont

Vermont - Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: English

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: United States

Virginia

Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American

Second most-common ancestry: United States

Third most-common ancestry: German

Washington

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: Mexican

West Virginia

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: United States

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Wisconsin

Wisconsin - Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: Irish

Third most-common ancestry: Polish

Wyoming

Most common self-reported ancestry: German

Second most-common ancestry: English

Third most-common ancestry: Irish

Read the original article on Business Insider UK. © 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter

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