Maine is an incredibly diverse state, and it should come as no surprise that top 10 languages of Maine are equally diverse. While English is the primary language spoken by residents, many households speak something other than English at home. Additionally, Maine – like many states in the nation – doesn’t actually have an official language.
Often, people who immigrate to Maine bring their languages with them. As a result, there’s a surprisingly wide array represented in the state. Here’s a look at the immigration history of the state, as well as the top ten languages of Maine.
Maine Immigration History
While the original population of Maine was Native American, English and Scotch-Irish Protestants were the primary European settlers that entered the area. Immigrants from those areas – and their resulting descendants – primarily shaped the state as we know it today, making up the bulk of the overall population.
However, they weren’t the only early migrants. French populations were driven out of Nova Scotia – which lies to the east – by the British in 1763, and many of them headed to the area that now serves as Maine’s northern border. Additionally, Cajuns from Louisiana began migrating northward, and many chose to settle in Maine, particularly the St. John Valley, where other French speakers from Canada settled.
Irish and French migrants continued to arrive throughout the 18th century. However, Swedes also began arriving in the 1870s, forming a settlement in Aroostook County.
As time passed, migrants of different ethnicities ultimately came to Maine. Along with African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, and Asians began making the area home. However, state reservations for members of the Passamaquody and Penobscot remained in the region, serving as homes to the few thousand remaining Native Americans in the state.
Top 10 Languages of Maine (Other Than English)
While Maine accounts for nearly half of the land area in New England, its population is quite small. In total, there are approximately 569,551 households in Maine.
While the vast majority – about 94 percent – speak English at home, around 6 percent of people speak a language other than English at home. With an average of 2.29 people per household, that works out to about 78,256 people.
Data regarding those households is available, allowing everyone to get a glimpse into the various languages spoken. Here’s a breakdown of the top ten languages of Maine other than English.
1. French
In most US states, the most common language besides English is Spanish. However, in Maine, there are more French (including Cajun) speakers than Spanish-speaking ones. Overall, around 33,362 people speak French in Maine, representing a bit more than 2.63 percent of the population.
2. Spanish
Overall, Spanish is the most widely spoken language in the US besides English. However, it comes in as the second-place non-English language in Maine. About 0.93 percent of the residents in Maine speak Spanish, representing approximately 11,811 people.
3. Chinese
With 3,304 speakers, Chinese (including Cantonese and Mandarin) is the third most common language in Maine. When it comes to population share, that works out to just shy of 0.26%.
4. German
In Maine, about 0.23 percent of the population speaks German. That comes out to around 2,890 people.
5. Amharic, Somali, or Other Afro-Asiatic Languages
Amharic, Somali, or other Afro-Asiatic languages come in fifth place on the list, with approximately 0.19 percent of the population falling in this category. Overall, there are about 2,399 speakers of these languages in the state.
6. Swahili or Other Languages of Central, Eastern, & Southern Africa
In sixth place is Swahili and other central, eastern, and southern African languages. There are around 2,169 speakers, representing about 0.17% of the population.
7. Portuguese
Next on the list is Portuguese. A bit more than 0.12 percent of the population – or around 1,555 residents – speak Portuguese in Maine.
8. Arabic
Just a hair behind Portuguese is Arabic, with 1,542 speakers. That works out to around 0.12 percent of the population.
9. Tagalog
In ninth place is Tagalog. There are about 1,290 speakers in Maine, representing approximately 0.10 percent of the population.
10. Other Native Languages of North America
Finally, Native American languages are spoken by about 0.09 percent of the population of Maine, which works out to around 1,145 people.
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