Ancestry in New England: The Predominant Nationalities by State

New England's demographic landscape reflects centuries of immigration waves, from early English colonists to 19th-century industrial laborers. Based on U.S. Census ancestry data, here are the five most commonly reported ancestries for each state, revealing distinct regional patterns.

Massachusetts

• English: 29.8%
• Irish: 19.3%
• Italian: 12.7%
• French: 9.2%
• Portuguese: 6.5%

Connecticut

• Italian: 17.5%
• Irish: 16.9%
• English: 14.5%
• German: 8.9%
• Polish: 7.5%

Rhode Island

• Italian: 18.7%
• French: 18.4%
• Irish: 16.1%
• Portuguese: 10.1%
• English: 7.5%

New Hampshire

• French: 24.4%
• English: 21.5%
• Irish: 17.4%
• German: 7.7%
• Italian: 5.9%

Vermont

• French: 33.9%
• English: 28.5%
• Irish: 12.4%
• German: 6.1%
• Italian: 4.1%

Maine

• French: 32.5%
• English: 28.9%
• Irish: 12.3%
• German: 5.5%
• Italian: 4.7%

Key Takeaway: While English and Irish ancestry dominate the southern New England states, the northern tier (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire) shows a remarkably strong French-Canadian heritage, a legacy of cross-border migration from Quebec. Connecticut and Rhode Island stand out for their high percentages of Italian ancestry, reflecting heavy immigration to the region's manufacturing centers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.