The Genetic Genealogist

DNA Could Reveal Your Surname, Of Course

October 14th, 2008 in DNA Articles, DNA Databases |

Image via Wikipedia

New research from Mark Jobling’s lab at the University of Leicester suggests that Y-DNA can be used to determine a male’s surname.

I know, I know, this is obvious to anyone who is familiar with genetic genealogy.  Just check out the many instances of this type of determination at ISOGG’s Success Stories website, for example.  However, as you’ll see below, this research has resulted in some new and interesting information.

Method

Dr. Turi King, who conducted the research, recruited over 2,500 men with roughly 500 different surnames to submit Y-DNA samples.  The sample set included a group not sharing surnames as well as sets of men (between 2 and 180) who shared a surname (including recognized variants).  She then typed 9 SNPs and 17 STRs.  There’s much more information about this research at the Jobling lab’s website regarding this project.

Results

Although this research may seem obvious, what makes it interesting are the actual statistics.  According to Dr. King’s research, there is a 24% chance that two men who share the same surname share a common ancestor through that name, and this increases to nearly 50% if the surname they share is rare. Keep in mind, of course, that this study was conducted solely in the U.K., so it is unclear how it applies to other countries.  From the press release:

“Dr King then went on to look at 40 surnames in depth by recruiting many different men all bearing the same surname, making sure that she excluded known relatives. Surnames such as Attenborough and Swindlehurst showed that over 70% of the men shared the same or near identical Y chromosome types whereas surnames such as Revis, Wadsworth and Jefferson show more than one group of men sharing common ancestry but unrelated to other groups.”

Implications

The implications of Dr. King’s research have strong significance for genetic genealogists, but the press release focused only on forensic science, stating that “the fact that such a strong link exists between surname and Y chromosome type has a potential use in forensic science, since it suggests that, given large databases of names and Y chromosome profiles, surname prediction from DNA alone may be feasible.”

For more analysis, see Anthropology.net.

8 Responses to “ DNA Could Reveal Your Surname, Of Course ”

1. # 1 Genea-Musings Says:
   October 14th, 2008 at 10:02 pm

   FamilyTreeDNA, in order to have the best chance of matching other persons? Or should I be tested by a company with cheaper rates for a given number of Y-DNA markers? I’m confused, I guess. I was readingThe Genetic Genealogist blog post today about Surnames

2. # 2 LVB.net - Citaten Says:
   May 19th, 2009 at 10:56 am

   the Mystery of Benjaman Kyle “, stelde ik voor dat een Y-DNA-test zou kunnen helpen bij het vinden van de biologische achternaam van de heer Kyle. Y-DNA-onderzoek heeft aangetoond dat het zeer nuttig is voor het identificeren van onbekende namen (ziehieren hier ), en dus ik nam ik contact op met de heer Kyle om die mogelijkheid te suggereren. Kort daarna liet de heer Kyle een 67-marker-test uitvoeren door Family Tree DNA. De resultaten, aangekondigd door Kimberly Powell van Kimberly’s Genealogie Blog, suggereren dat z

3. # 3 A Human Ancestor for the Apes? « Anthropology.net Says:
   October 14th, 2008 at 12:49 pm

   [...] Comments DNA Could Reveal You… on The Genetics Of “Who…Emanuel Lusca on Science As A Human Practi…Kambiz [...]

4. # 4 Roots Television | Megan's Roots World Says:
   October 16th, 2008 at 3:29 pm

   [...] I agree with Blaine that the stats are what makes this interesting. DNA Could Reveal Your Surname, Of Course » The Genetic Genealogist [...]

5. # 5 More On Revealing Surnames Using Genetic Genealogy » The Genetic Genealogist Says:
   October 20th, 2008 at 7:43 am

   [...] The Genetic Genealogist Adding DNA to the Genealogist’s Toolbox Skip to content HomeAboutAbout Genetic GenealogyArchivesFeatured ArticlesRoots Television – DNA Channel « DNA Could Reveal Your Surname, Of Course [...]

6. # 6 Discovering Biology in a Digital World : Hey sperm donors, could DNA testing be hazardous to your wealth? Says:
   October 21st, 2008 at 11:08 pm

   [...] tip to Genome Technology. More information can be found here, and here, and further discussion of the ethical implications here. div.blogMain p.newMeta2 a [...]

7. # 7 Large-Scale Genetic Genealogy Privacy Concerns » The Genetic Genealogist Says:
   February 16th, 2009 at 4:00 am

   [...] to two posts I wrote last October about using genetic genealogy results to determine surnames (“DNA Could Reveal Your Surname, Of Course,” and “More On Revealing Surnames Using Genetic Genealogy”).  I first mentioned this [...]

8. # 8 Honoring Our Ancestors Newsletter Says:
   February 26th, 2009 at 11:43 pm

   [...] I agree with Blaine that the stats are what makes this interesting. DNA Could Reveal Your Surname, Of Course – The Genetic Genealogist [...]