Ethnicity

How does

Have you heard from others that Native American doesn't show up in DNA?  I get this question frequently, and I've seen people suggest that Native American DNA doesn't show up on DNA tests in online forums.  In this post, we'll dispel this myth, and address some reasons that could explain why Native American doesn't show …

If you received your My Heritage DNA Ethnicity Estimate and saw Central American on your results, you might be wondering what this actually means.  I know that I was very confused when I saw this on my husband's report, and it led me to investigate this further.  As it turns out, anyone with Native American …

Did you know that you can compare your ethnicity with that of your DNA matches on Ancestry? In this post, learn how to do this in order to learn more from your DNA results. In this post, I will explain how to access the ethnicity comparison between you and any given DNA match and what …

Did you find the Ireland/Scotland/Wales DNA ethnicity region in your Ancestry DNA results?  You might have known that you had distant Irish roots, or recent Scottish ancestry.  Or maybe you are completely shocked to find the Ireland/Scotland/Wales ethnicity in your ethnicity estimate.  In order to truly understand this ethnicity, and how it ended up in …

If you have Mexican ancestry and took a DNA test, were you surprised to see Irish on your results?  In this post, learn how common this is, and how you may have inherited DNA from this region of the world. There is a lot of misinformation out there about the "typical" genetic makeup of the …

If you did a DNA test expecting to find more Irish, or at least some Irish, represented in your ethnicity results, you are not alone.  Many people are surprised to find Irish, and others are surprised not to find Irish in their DNA.  With St. Patrick's Day always around the corner, you might be asking …

Some with primarily European ancestry are often surprised to find North African DNA in their ethnicity results.  In this post, learn a little bit about how you might have inherited DNA from Northern Africa even though you have no known recent ancestors from the area. Plus, find out why it's not remnants of "ancient DNA", …

If you have Europe South in your Ancestry DNA ethnicity results, you might be interested in learning more about the region.  As it turns out, to really get a good understand of the full meaning of our ethnicity results, we have to do a little exploration of geography and history.  It's worth the effort, however, …

Did you know that siblings will usually show different percentages matching the regions on their ethnicity estimates? In fact, they can even have regions on their results that their siblings don't have. Does this mean that the results aren't accurate? Or could it mean that they are not full siblings? It's normal for siblings to …

If you just got your results back from your Family Tree DNA Family Finder test, you might be wondering how to understand your FTDNA ethnicity results.  Ethnicity estimates are often the cause of skepticism and confusion, and if this is how you are feeling, know that you are not alone.  In this post, I will …

If you are wondering how the Turkey and the Caucasus DNA ethnicity showed up on your Ancestry DNA results, you are not alone.  In order to explain this DNA region on Ancestry - to really understand - we have to learn a bit about geography, history, and genetics.  Turkey and the Caucasus is a fascinating …

A common question about ethnicity estimates is whether a child can have more of an ethnicity than a parent does. Find out how this can happen in this post!

If you are exploring your ethnicity results on Ancestry DNA, you might wonder what those little numbers are next to all of the ethnicities on their list.  In this post, I'll explain to you what those numbers mean, and how to know which ones apply to you and your ethnicities. Which numbers am I talking …

If you just got your ethnicity results back from Ancestry DNA, you might be curious to learn more about the European Jewish DNA ethnicity.  Even though it's fairly common for this to show up when someone has European ancestry, you might want to learn more.  In this post, I will explain what the European Jewish …

In this post, I'll explain the different ways to find out if you are Irish - just in time for St. Patty's Day this year.  You just might be wearing your "Kiss me, I'm Irish" t-shirt with confidence... who knew? Are you interested in finding out if you have Irish roots?  You aren't the first …

Do you want to know if your Ashkenazi or Sephardic Jewish heritage will show up on a DNA test? Find out which DNA test is best for Jewish ancestry.

Did you find Europe West in your Ancestry DNA results?  Many people were hoping for something a little more specific - isn't Western Europe made up of many different countries, each with their specific language and culture?  You aren't the only person to wonder what the Europe West DNA ethnicity really means. In this post, …

Is your MyHeritage DNA Ethnicity Estimate different than the one you got from Ancestry DNA or another testing site?   You aren't alone in spotting major differences in your ethnicity estimate. 

Is it possible to get an ethnicity estimate for free? In this post, learn a few ways to find out your ethnicity for free - with and without using DNA.

If you are Mexican, or have Mexican roots, you might be wondering what Mexican Ancestry DNA results look like?  Or if you already got your results back, maybe you want to compare yours to some other people from Mexico to get an idea whether yours fit in.  What you will learn in this post is …

Did you get Scandinavia DNA ethnicity in your results? Learn how you inherited Scandinavian DNA, which countries your ancestors came from, and more!

For many of us, the holiday season is a perfect time to reflect on our lives, families, histories, and traditions.  If you didn't grow up Jewish, but you know that you have Jewish ancestry, or you think you might, you might be interested in exploring your family history and learning more about your Jewish roots. …

Do you want to learn more about the Great Britain DNA Ethnicity? Was yours a surprise? How did you inherit it? What is British DNA? Learn more here!

Many people are puzzled when they get their Ancestry DNA, 23 and Me, or Family Tree DNA results back and see that they have a percentage of Iberian.  A question that sometimes comes to mind, especially because of some misinformation that has been spreading online, is whether or not having Iberian ethnicity also means that …

Did you get Africa Southeastern Bantu DNA ethnicity in your results? Learn more about how you inherited DNA from this region.

Ethnicity estimates are a fascinating aspect of DNA testing, and sometimes people are surprised by what they see, and it becomes very important to explain the findings.  If you have Iberian and Native American in your ethnicity results, you might be wondering if the simple explanation is that you have Hispanic or Latino ancestry.  In …

If you have Hispanic or Latino ancestry, you might be wondering which DNA is best for you.  In this post, I will explain which test is best for Hispanic or Latino Ancestry and why. Some people are understandably skeptical about whether or not there is a DNA test out there that can provide accurate results …

Do you want to know how they get your ethnicity estimate, how far back they can test, and which company's test you can really trust? Find out here!

We were you expecting to see Native American DNA in your ethnicity estimate from your DNA test?  You are not alone in asking the question of why Native American ancestry doesn't show up in your ethnicity results.  There are a few common reasons why this happens, and we'll talk about them in this article. Reasons …

In this article, you will learn the basics about what makes the Gedmatch admixture results different than the ones provided by your testing company in your ethnicity estimate, and which admixture calculator is the best Gedmatch test for Native American. One of the most popular reasons for people to upload their DNA to Gedmatch is …

A few weeks ago, one of my close acquaintances got his DNA results back.  He showed them to his mother, who is the daughter of a Mexican father and and an American mother.  Her initial response was that they were wrong:  "Those can't be right," she said.  "Where is the Mexican in your DNA results?"  …

Did you get your Ancestry DNA results back expecting to see Polish as your ethnicity?  Surprise! In this article, you will learn why your Polish DNA might not show up on Ancestry's DNA ethnicity estimate. This post was originally published in October, 2017, but was updated in August, 2018 to reflect the most current information …

Did you find Europe East in your Ancestry DNA results? In this article, you will learn a bit about what it means to have Europe East Ancestry, including: What countries are included in the Ancestry "Europe East" category Why the DNA ethnicity results aren't separated by country Discussion about whether you might be able to …

Is it possible for two siblings to have the same parents, but have different ethnicity results?  This question sometimes causes people to panic, wondering if they have uncovered a family secret.  Is it possible that two full siblings who have the same two parents show different ancestry? The resounding answer is YES.  This is totally …

People have all sorts of motivations for doing an Ancestry DNA test.  One popular reason is to search for Native American Ancestry, or to confirm it.  This leads to an obvious question:  Does Ancestry DNA Test For Native American ancestry? In this article, I'll show you what Native American results look like on the Ancestry …

Do you have extensive Colonial America roots, yet show Iberian Peninsula DNA?  In this article, you will learn how it can be possible to have both Iberian and Colonial ancestry.  Here's a hint:  It doesn't mean that your tree is wrong! Before we get started, I should mention that Ancestry DNA no longer reports the …

Wonder what Ancestry DNA Hispanic DNA results look like? If you have family from Latin America, you MUST read this post about Hispanic DNA results.

Modern humans have been living in the Iberian Peninsula for many thousands of years.  Before modern humans, the peninsula was inhabited for hundreds of thousands of years by other species of hominids.  This all leads to a rich history that can get kind of complicated to understand completely.  In this post, we'll discuss the Iberian …

Are you curious about whether Iberian is Hispanic?  Did you do a DNA test and saw something called "Iberian Peninsula" on your DNA results?  Does this mean that you are Hispanic?  No worries, this is a super common question, and in this post, we will discuss the meaning of Iberian vs. Hispanic. What does Hispanic …

If you've already done your Ancestry DNA test, you most likely see a section called a "Low Confidence Region" that is listed just below your major ethnicities.  Many people automatically assume that because it says "Low Confidence" that is isn't accurate.  The reality is that sometimes it isn't accurate, and sometimes it is.  That's why …

One of the most popular reasons for doing a DNA test is to determine ethnicity.  Many people start out on their DNA journey trying to learn about their ethnicity and end up discovering new family members, or learning something really cool about their family history.  Is there such a thing as a DNA test for …