There are so many really great genetic genealogy blogs out there, and we all have limited time to scroll through to look for stuff that it really going to help us. In this post, I’ll tell you about my favorite genetic genealogy blogs – just a few sentences about what makes them great and different from the rest.
In order to be included in this list, the blog has to be of high quality, post fairly regularly, and not be overly commercial in nature. This means that there are some great posts/blogs that didn’t make the list, but I think you’ll learn plenty with what I did include.
So, without further ado, the 10 Top Genetic Genealogy Blogs, in no particular order:
Blaine Bettinger’s “The Genetic Genealogist“
I really enjoy reading Blaine Bettinger’s blog. Each post is carefully written, and I love the tone that comes across in his writing. One of my favorite posts by Blaine is one that he wrote a few years ago about small matching segments.
Kitty Cooper’s Blog “Musing on Genealogy, Genetics, and Gardening“
Even though she occasionally writes about topics unrelated to genealogy and DNA, the quality of Kitty Cooper’s DNA posts are excellent. She covers all sorts of DNA related topics that can help give you new ideas about how to use your DNA to research your family tree and learn more about your DNA relatives, like this one, which is one of my absolute favorite: “Half-sibling or a Nibling?”
Roberta Estes’ “DNAeXplained – Genetic Genealogy“
On this blog, you’ll find tons of detail-oriented posts that are often thought-provoking. I love how she connects history and travel with DNA and genealogy in some posts, and then gets pretty technical in others – like in her post about chromosome mapping.
Debbie Parker Wayne’s “Deb’s Delvings in Genealogy“
This blog is easy to read and covers very helpful topics for the American genetic genealogy researcher, like most of my readers. One of her most recent helpful posts is from December 2017, and is called “DNA Analysis: Random is Most Important Factor“.
While the blog is no longer being updated due to the author’s passing in 2022, it is a valuable source of information. She was a pioneer of genetic genealogy during her lifetime.
Dr. D’s “Dr. D Digs Up Ancestors“
Dr. D covers some really great topics ranging from autosomal DNA, family history research, to Y DNA. I love the title that he uses when he discusses health information potentially contained within DNA in his “Promethease: For Your Health & Insomnia” post.
Judy Russell’s “The Legal Genealogist“
Judy Russell adds a measured, objective perspective to DNA testing and genealogy. I often stumble across her posts while researching a particular topic, and end up scrolling through more articles.
Her background as reporter/prosecutor/professor/attorney/writer gives her unique perspective, and I enjoy the issues that she brings to our attention, like in her post titled, “The price of sharing“.
Shannon Christmas’ “Through the Trees“
I only discovered this blog a couple of years ago, yet it quickly became a favorite. I enjoyed one of his 2021 posts entitled “Return to Triangulating: 23andMe’s Relatives in Common Feature is Back on Track“.
Jim Bartlett’s “Segment-ology“
Are you looking for a simple, no-frills blog that dives deep into the science of DNA testing? This blog is spot-on when it comes to learning some of the more advanced aspects of genetic genealogy, and you can see a sampling of this with his post entitled, “The MRCA Knothole!”
T.L. Dixon’s “Roots & Recombinant DNA”
T.L. Dixon’s background as a journalist and interest in all aspects of his ancestry really give him a unique perspective to share, and I find that his posts really draw attention to many issues that are often overlooked in the genealogy and genetic genealogy circles. One of my favorite (extremely-detailed) recent posts discusses tracing African roots, and is titled, “Finding Your Wakanda Africa with DNA Testing“.
Debbie Kennett’s “Cruwys news“
I really like the varied topics of Debbie Kennett’s posts, which range from shipwrecks to triangulation. A really nice recent post on her site focuses on: “Genealogy and DNA casualties of GDPR – farewell to World Families Network, Ysearch and Mitosearch“.
Conclusion
I hope that you were able to find a blog that you think you will enjoy on this list. There is so much great information out there, and if there is a particular post on a blog that I didn’t list (or even from one that I did) please feel free to post a link in the comments.
Thanks for stopping by today!