In Appalachian and Southern speech, my people means one’s family, relatives, or kinfolk - both close relatives and the broader circle of folks you come from. It carries a sense of lineage, homeplace, and belonging that goes beyond the ordinary English use of "people."
synonyms: kinfolk, family, folks back home, relatives
Hillbilly Dude Says...
People talk about 'their people' often - it's in use ofte
Hillbilly Dude Says...
People talk about 'their people' often - it's in use ofte
Pronunciation
[mah PEE-puhl]
/ˈmaː ˈpiː.pəl/
Meaning & Usage
- Family; kinfolk; one’s relatives (noun phrase)
Talking about a visit
Mae:
Where y’all headed this weekend?
Earl:
Back home to see my people.
- The community or homeplace one is rooted in
Discussing background
Mae:
You ever been up that holler?
Earl:
Oh sure - that’s where my people are from.
variations: your people, her people, his people, their people, my own people
★ When Southerners say "my people," they’re talkin’ about kin - not coworkers, not friends, not a crowd. It’s a quick way of grounding yourself in family and place. ★
Origin and Etymology
This kinship-based meaning of "my people" descends from Scots-Irish and British English patterns of identifying one’s family or clan through simple possessive phrases. The construction has been recorded in Southern and Appalachian speech since at least the 19th century and remains a core part of regional identity language, emphasizing family ties, ancestry, and the home community.
Usage Notes
"My people" is still widely used in the South and Appalachia to mean family, often including extended kin and the broader home community one identifies with. Variants such as "your people," "her people," and "their people" follow the same pattern. While the phrasing appears in other English dialects, the strong kinship and homeplace connotation is distinctly Southern and Appalachian.
Common in conversation about visiting home or reconnecting with family.
Often refers to both immediate relatives and extended kin networks.
Variants ("your people," "her people," etc.) all preserve the same kin-based meaning.
Not typically used for coworkers, casual acquaintances, or social groups.
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 23). My People. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/my-people
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "My People." HillbillySlang.com, 23 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/my-people.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "My People." HillbillySlang.com. November 23, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/my-people.
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Created by a true, actual, proper, real-life hillbilly, HillbillySlang is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...
People talk about 'their people' often - it's in use ofte 
