Family, Surname and Haplogroup Branches
Table of contents:
This is a grouping of Family Branch, Surname, and Haplogroup (Y DNA) Studies. Often early or pseudo-surname studies that are based on yDNA testing of a male with the surname. The traditional family branches feature in the genealogical database is derived by finding an EKA of some male, patrilineal line and providing the descendants down from that. Basically, any male with the surname who has no father specified. Surname studies are a generalization of this where all occurrences of a surname are collected. Often with follow-on work to stitch them into family branches from the sea of data. Y Chromosome DNA testing helps tremendously in this process for historically European branches as the surname and yDNA inheritance tend to follow each other. Hence the last grouping of Haplogroup lines that pre-date the use and adoption of surnames but trace these same patrilineal lines through ancient, pre-historic times.
Well-defined populations that need their own study page to group information particular to them are located in our Special Projects section. For example, as initiated with the Parsi's of India. General Autosomal DNA studies for matches to find cousins from ancestors in the last 200 years are in the DNA Studies section. We initially had users simply put them sub-ordinate to their Member page but decided to bring them out under their own heading. Even though most are protected behind login for view just by the tester and their close matches.
Family Branch work started on this site in 2010 with work on the Harr name due to a brick wall on Randy's patriline from around 1800. After yDNA testing in 2011, the work rapidly expanded into a major project with its own website spinning off by mid-2015. After 6 years, we are finally incorporating the lessons learned to cover other surnames of interest on this more general site.
Often, like on the H600 site, there will be a companion DNA page to each family branch page. A top-level family branch and DNA page here is the same as the top-level Family Branch and DNA Groupings page on H600. Meaning, as work progresses and a more formal surname study evolves, pages below will expand with different branch lines discovered; possibly expanding upward into one-name study support at as well.
As there is no equivalent of surname inheritance for the female matriline that can be tracked with mtDNA, and the fact that mtDNA does not reach into the genealogical time frame even when fully sequenced, we are not attempting to start any matriline branch studies at this time.
(Note: Use the H600 Glossary for hot links to terms not yet defined or moved onto this site.)