DNA testing for genealogy offers the opportunity to confirm an expected lineage, and in many cases, make incredible discoveries that could not be made any other way. Many genealogists are focused on autosomal DNA testing. However, Y-DNA testing also provides great genealogical value, and while more limited in scope, it can be a tremendous aid in breaking through more distant genealogical brick walls.
Early Y-DNA tests had very limited coverage accompanied by a high price tag. The testing coverage of the Y chromosome has increased in recent years, and the cost has dropped significantly, making advanced testing an option for more consumers. This article will discuss some basics of Y-DNA testing, and hopefully provide some ideas for how Y-DNA testing might further your genealogical research.
Part 1: The Basics of Y-DNA Testing
What exactly is Y-DNA testing, and how does it differ from other DNA tests?
To understand Y-DNA, think back to basic biology. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Chromosomes 1 through 22 are called autosomes, which are the focus of autosomal DNA tests like AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, and 23andMe.
The 23rd pair determines sex. Women inherit two X chromosomes (one from each parent), while men inherit an X chromosome from their mother and a Y chromosome from their father. A Y-DNA test specifically isolates and analyzes this paternal Y chromosome.
Why is the Y chromosome uniquely useful for genealogy?
Because a man has only a single copy of the Y chromosome, it is passed down to his sons completely intact without recombination (shuffling). While occasional mutations happen over time, the Y chromosome typically remains essentially identical across several generations of a direct paternal line. This makes it an incredible tool for uncovering deep paternal lineage.
What is the difference between Y-STR and Y-SNP testing?
Consumer Y-DNA testing has evolved to include two different types of genetic markers:
- Short Tandem Repeats (STRs): This older, traditional method counts how often a specific DNA pattern repeats at a certain location. Because some STR markers change relatively fast or can even mutate back to an original value after a few generations, they are best for identifying a general family group of interest, rather than calculating exact relationships.
- Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs): This newer method looks for precise changes at individual positions on the chromosome. Once a SNP mutation occurs, it is passed down to all future generations and is rarely reversed. SNP testing allows scientists to map out a precise genetic family tree, known as a haplotree.
Part 2: Taking the Test
Who is eligible to take a Y-DNA test?
Anyone who possesses a Y chromosome (biological males).
If females cannot take the test, how can they research their paternal lines?
Females must recruit a male relative who belongs to the specific lineage they wish to study—such as a brother, father, paternal uncle, or paternal cousin.
Note: Your research question dictates who should test. If you want to learn about your mother’‘s biological father, testing your full brother won’‘t help, because his Y-DNA comes exclusively from your father’’s paternal line.
I’ve already taken a Y-DNA test. Should I ask my father/son/brother to take the same test?
Generally not. In autosomal DNA testing, results from an older tester (or even the same generation) can provide access to different matches not found for the original tester. However, since Y-DNA tends to mutate slowly, your closest relatives will usually be exact matches to you.
Testing a more distant relative is typically of greater benefit. For example, if your research goal is to learn more about your patrilineal third-great-grandfather, testing a patrilineal descendant of the target ancestor who descends from a different son is often helpful. This result can confirm the expected lineage and, if SNP markers are tested, provide greater context of the distance with other matches.
What happens if a family line has “daughtered out”“?
““Daughtered out”“ is a genealogical term for an ancestral line that has no living patrilineal (male-line) descendants—for instance, if an ancestor had only daughters, or if his sons had no surviving male heirs. If your direct line has daughtered out, you must use descendancy research to track the brothers of that ancestor (or go back one or more generations) to find a living male cousin from that paternal branch to test. For more information on how to do this, review our article on Developing a DNA Testing Plan.
Part 3: What to Expect from the Results
What kind of information do Y-DNA results provide?
You will generally receive two main pieces of data:
- A Haplogroup Prediction: This identifies your deep ancestral origins and the continent your ancient paternal ancestors came from thousands of years ago.
- A Match List: A highly targeted database of other male testers who share a common paternal ancestor with you. This list is typically much smaller than an autosomal DNA match list.
What is ““Genetic Distance”“ on a match list?
Genetic distance in Y-DNA does not refer to the number of generations between two people. Instead, it refers to the number of non-matching STR markers between two testers. For example, in a standard test, two men can mismatch on roughly 10% of the markers and still be considered a genetic match.
What are the typical outcomes of a Y-DNA match list?
Your results will generally fall into one of five scenarios, ranked from most to least helpful:
- Matches with the expected surname: The ideal result. This connects you with men sharing your surname, allowing you to compare family trees and break through record ““brick walls.”“
- Matches with an unexpected surname: Highly common. This usually indicates a historical surname change, adoption, or a misattributed ancestor somewhere in the patriline.
- Several distinct surname groups: Results display multiple surname trends. Upgrading to a deeper test like the Big Y-700 can help isolate which group is most closely related to you.
- N matches with N surnames: A scattered list with no visible surname pattern (e.g., 11 matches with 11 different last names). This means the results aren't immediately useful. You must wait for more people to test, unless your ancestors come from a culture that historically used patronymic naming conventions (like pre-1800s Scandinavia, where children were named after their father’‘s first name).
- No matches at all: This happens if your ancient roots are from an under-tested region of the world, or if your Y chromosome has highly unique variants.
Part 4: Strategy, Cost, and Logistics
When should I use Y-DNA instead of a standard autosomal test?
If you are trying to identify an unknown father, grandfather, or great-grandfather, start with autosomal DNA, which is much better suited for recent generations. There are situations where Y-DNA testing can supplement autosomal DNA in recent generations, particularly if endogamy or pedigree collapse is a factor, but not as a first test.
Y-DNA becomes invaluable for brick walls involving your second-great– to fourth-great-grandfathers and beyond. The recommended strategy is to use autosomal DNA to confirm your tree as far back as possible, and then introduce Y-DNA to push past the limits of autosomal DNA testing.
Where can I purchase a Y-DNA test?
Only a few companies offer dedicated Y-DNA testing. FamilyTreeDNA is widely considered the best starting point because it hosts the largest consumer Y-DNA database. They offer entry-level STR tests (like the Y-37 and Y-111) as well as their premium, SNP-based Big Y-700 test.
How is the sample collected, and how long does it take?
FamilyTreeDNA uses a simple cheek swab. This makes it much easier to test elderly relatives or individuals who suffer from dry mouth. Once mailed back, standard STR tests take about 4 to 6 weeks to process, while the advanced Big Y-700 takes 2-4 months.
Is it worth upgrading from a basic STR test to the expensive Big Y-700?
Entry-level tests (like the Y-37) are great for getting a “lay of the land.” However, a basic STR test can sometimes provide false hope by matching you with people whose common ancestor with you was born hundreds (or occasionally thousands) of years ago.
Upgrading to the Big Y-700 provides incredibly precise branching details on the haplotree and a much better estimate of the Time to Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA). It prevents researchers from spending years digging into the wrong historical families.
Pro –Tip: If funds are tight, wait for sales. Major Y-DNA discounts usually pop up right before Father’s Day and Christmas, along with other flash sales throughout the year.
Part 5: Big Y-700
My Y-STR results show my matches in order of genetic distance. Why do I need to upgrade to Big Y-700 when I already have a sorted match list?
Testers who upgrade to SNP testing are often surprised to learn the Big Y haplotree shows a very distant relationship to some of their Y-STR matches with low genetic distances. SNP testing is a much better tool for relationship prediction than STR testing, due to characteristics of the markers discussed earlier.
The matches at the top of your Y-STR match lists are not necessarily the most closely related to you.
Should I upgrade to Big Y-700?
If you have Y-STR matches, and some of them have already upgraded to Big Y-700 (or are willing to do so), probably.
If your Y-STR match list consists of a handful of unresponsive matches with no family trees, it may make more sense to continue to monitor your results and delay the expenditure until your matches are more promising.
More testers are always welcome, though, and if you can afford the test, the results are likely to eventually be helpful to someone, even if not immediately useful for your research question.
I upgraded to Big Y-700. What is the haplotree diagram telling me?
The Big Y haplotree shows groups of individuals who share a common ancestor. This diagram, paired with genealogical research, can be an important tool in identification of unknown ancestors.
The diagram below shows the haplotree for one of our clients.
The research goal is to identify the biological father of the client’s great-grandfather. Identification of an ancestor four generations back would typically rely on autosomal DNA, but in this case, autosomal matches for the line of interest are few and distant.
When our client first took the Big Y-700 test, his few matches had the same common surname (not the client’s surname). The majority of his current matches had not yet tested, and it was not clear how he might be related to the existing testers at that time.
All match names in the diagram below have been removed for privacy reasons. Our client is placed in the leftmost column (denoted with “Your branch”) in haplogroup I-FT30147.
He has one match who shares his haplogroup: his known second cousin once removed. The common ancestor between the two men is the client’s great-grandfather, and this result confirms descent from a common patrilineal ancestor, as expected.
The client’s known relative is his closest match in the database. Moving to the right on the diagram, the three matches in I-FT30340 are the next most closely related individuals who have tested.
Note that the blue bars in this image are of varying widths. The top bar (I-FT27373) spans the width of the entire diagram. The “downstream” haplogroups below are more specific, and each represents a more recent ancestor.
All testers underneath are descendants of the progenitor of I-FT27373. I-FT29908 is a descendant of I-FT27373, and I-FT30340 is a descendant of I-29908 (and by extension, also a descendant of FT27373).
Our client has the most recent haplogroup of all of the depicted testers, since his close relative has also tested, and they have variants in common not shared with other testers.
Extensive research has been done to identify pedigrees for the available testers , and to recruit other testers from lines of interest. The three individuals in I-FT30340 share a common ancestor born in 1704. The members of I-FT29908 descend from a brother of the 1704 ancestor, so we can deduce I-FT30340 was originated by the man born in 1704, and that our client is also a descendant of this man.
We recruited the testers in I-FT30340, and these results have brought a great deal of clarity to the client’s pedigree. When he first tested, there was an unconfirmed possibility of descent from a man born in 1605. Additional testers have confirmed descent from a specific ancestor born in 1704.
The client’s haplogroup display includes two other variants (BY192026 and FT268620), which represent opportunities for further branching. Our research is focused on identifying additional candidates who also descend from the ancestor born in 1704, with the goal of finding testers who are more closely related to him than the existing testers in I-FT30340. The client’s great-grandfather was likely a great-grandson or second-great-grandson of the man born in 1704, and the right tester could help narrow the pool of candidates.
In cases where the genealogies of other testers areis not known, FamilyTreeDNA’s DiscoverTM tool provides estimates of the time to common ancestor for a haplogroup.
Final Thoughts
The increase in Y-DNA functionality and testers in the past several years have made Y-DNA results more genealogically viable than ever before. As databases continue to grow, these results will become even more useful. Not all testers will have results that are immediately helpful, but starting with a lower-cost test, and understanding possible outcomes may help reduce disappointment with sparse results.
If you have already Y-DNA tested and would like help with interpretation of results, or need help finding a candidate to test, we would love to help out!
Our resident DNA experts would be happy to help you analyze and make sense of the results you get from any of the major DNA testing companies. Give us a call or drop us an email and let us know how we can help you!
I checked out Genealogists. I would love to do my Family Tree. I went to Ancestry.com I was only able to get to mt great grandparents. I just got last names, no other information. That’s where I hit a dead end. The only problem is, I just can’t afford a Genealogist. I had my DNA checked twice. Ancestry DNA test said that I was from Eastern Europe. I am Russian on my father’s side, and Ukraine on my mother’s side. With Ancestry I did get names, that’s how I found my Great grandparents names. CRI Genetics was the other website I used. They said that they can go back 6 generations. That DNA test With that test I had relatives from Ukraine, Russia, Italy, Africa. Iran, South West USA, Canada. Japan, Peru and some other countries.
Hi Robert, you may consider scheduling a Genealogist-on-Demand™ Virtual Consultation. At only $100 USD, it’s a more affordable way to have 1:1 access to a professional genealogist that can provide research strategies and advice. You may schedule a consultation here: https://legacytree.com/consultation.
My brother took the FamilyTreeDNA Y-111 and the Big Y. He also took the Ancestry autosomal DNA test. As his sister, I took the Ancestry autosomal test and uploaded my DNA data to FamilyTreeDNA and GEDCOM. Before my brother tested, I had hit the same brick wall as all the previous family genealogists had. My paternal great grandfather is a total mystery man. My brother and our male first cousins are the only Beck males still living. There is no one else living whose Y-DNA results would add information to what we already have. From my practically daily family genealogy research over the past decade, I have come to suspect that paternal great grandfather might have been using an alias. Also, there are no records that hold the names of his parents or of any siblings he might have had. My brother’s Y-DNA 67 marker test shows three men whose names are all different and none are Beck. His Y-111 test shows one result, who is also included in the three from Y-67. On the Y-111, the genetic distance for the match is 6. I have reached out to all three men and two have responded and have continued communicating with me. I have thought about consulting a professional genealogist who has expertise in genetic genealogy, but am concerned that he or she would cover the exact same ground as I have covered and come up empty-handed, as I have. Except I’d be paying a fortune for someone to tell me that I’m at a dead end. Is there a way to find out who your paternal great grandfather, gg grandfather, etc. is? There are no males farther back in generations to test. Everyone is dead. Short of digging up my great grandfather in the wee hours and getting his DNA, how would your researchers be able to help my family?
Hi Patricia, to learn more about the family of your mystery great-grandfather, analysis of autosomal DNA test results will be your best bet. It’s great that you and your brother have both tested with AncestryDNA. If your test results don’t include other known descendants of your great-grandfather, you may wish to invite some relatives to test.
We work on research like yours every day. In a nutshell, we first identify matches from all of the lines NOT of interest – your maternal matches, matches from the family of your paternal grandmother, etc. Once non-relevant matches have been eliminated, we look for common ancestors amongst the remaining matches. That process usually narrows the field of candidates to brothers in one family, and with a target family identified, further testing of descendants may be necessary to determine which one is your ancestor. If you would like research assistance, we would be happy to help! You may request a free quote here. If you prefer to do the research yourself, we also offer 45-minute consultation sessions with one of our genetic genealogists who can assess your matches and provide you with recommendations on how to proceed. For more information on scheduling a consultation, please visit: https://legacytree.com/consultation.
Thank you for replying to me. I will be in touch soon for a quote for a session with one of your genetic genealogists.
Hi Patricia,
I had the same issue with finding results of my great-grandfather, where not so much his name (because my grandfather paid for our ancestry tree way back in the early 1980’s – yikes!!), and my grandfather knew his dad’s name, however all that was ever said about my great-grandpa, was he was a college educated engineer, enjoyed geology and once did some mining in Mexico. That’s It.
Being that your great-grandfather could be that of the same generation as mine (that older generation of men were into joining the Elks, Kiwanis, Eagles, etc.), check out your local Masonic Lodge, where if your great-grandfather was ever a Master Mason, like my great-grandfather his identity was dropped off the map (for some reason), where I am not a Freemason, but once I researched his name in reference of Freemasonry, I started getting random hits, more information to old photographs of him (from possibly another Freemason?); which I thought you may find useful in your situation, and it won’t cost you much to ask another Freemason at your local lodge..
Thank you for sharing and for your suggestion, Robert!
My surname is reasonably unique. I have genealogy records back to 1760 on the male side and I am struggling to find earlier individuals.
I met another man while traveling in Germany that has the same surname in the same general area where my ancestors lived, probably in a 30-40 mile radius.
I am 69, he is in his early 70s. His family documentation goes back to the 1500s in that area, my male relatives emigrated from there to the USA in the 1860s.
What DNA test(s) will help us determine if we are related? Which vendor would you recommend? What can we expect to learn?
I appreciate your suggestions.
Thanks,
Joe
I am totally confused. I have tested with FTDNA and Ancestry.com and submitted the results to MyHeritage and LivingDNA. None are conclusive or even match each other.
I realize autozomal tests include everyone in my tree and my tree may have more than
one country of origin, and that is the main reason I am seeking confirmation of origin of my Y dna. But, my Y dna could be English, could be Irish, could be from Scotland.
Therefore, I have no way of knowing where my family originated. What do you think?
Hi Patrick,
I believe one of our researchers could help you figure this out. They would pull data together and combine that with other resources to fill in some of the blanks for you. Please contact us on our Get in Touch pagefor a free estimate on a consultation package or research.
Hi Patricia Beck, interested to know your Beck line. I am researching my Beck line on Ireland that may have immigrated from England.
Thank you! Dori
Hi Dori,
I just was notified of your post ! I actually know very little about my paternal Beck line.It seems to stop with my paternal great grandfather, John Willuam Beck, 1846-1924. Various relatives of mine have associated him with ancestors who are not related to him or any of our branch of the Beck family. I have been searching for whoever his parents were, for almost a decade without success. Those mistakes on the various Ancestry family trees keep turning up and distant relatives keep copying them into their trees. Anyway, my brother took every Y-DNA test available through FamilyTreeDNA and there’s not a Beck among any of his matches, at any testing level. That is likely because my great grandfather might have changed his surname to Beck when he arrived in Titusville, PA in the 1860’s, from parts unknown. If you want, I can tell you what I do know. Just reach out to me.
Would a Y DNA test help my Husband find what area in Ireland his male line comes from? He has a very common surname with no clue where his Great Great Grandfather came from in Ireland. He has done an Autosomal testing but due to other lines in his family it does not focus in on any particular area, just Ireland. We also do not know of any other DNA matches that can definitely be traced to his Father’s line. Thank you
Diana, as much as we would like to help, DNA questions are better answered by our researchers. Please contact us through the form on our Get in Touch page. Our Client Solutions Specialists can point you in the right direction and provide a free estimate if research is needed.
If I have hair with roots from a deceased ancestor, can I get a Y-DNA analysis from familytreedna or another company? How do I go about sampling?
Hi Kenneth, there are a variety of companies that provide DNA testing (and they can specifically share with you how they sample and how accurate the test results should be). After you have your test results, if you would like research assistance, we would be happy to help! You may request a free quote here. If you prefer to do the research yourself, we also offer 45-minute consultation sessions with one of our genetic genealogists who can assess your matches and provide you with recommendations on how to proceed. For more information on scheduling a consultation, please visit this page.
I have done a DNA test, but only told of different parts of the world where some of my family is from. The question l really wanted to know was where my father was from, as his father was left on a step in a village called Hilton (which is where my maiden name came from) a distant family member has tried to trace the paternal side but just kept finishing up on this step. Is there any way to try and take this trace further back than this step ?
Hi Maureen, Thank you for reaching out. Sometimes family histories can seem confusing, especially without detailed research. Our team conducts personalized research in family history records, spanning hundreds of years to tell you who your ancestors were, where they lived, and much more. Please consider scheduling a consultation with one of our Client Solutions Specialists on our Get in Touch page. They can speak with you about the information you have and your specific goals, and provide a free quote if a research project if needed.
Dear Gretchen,
I recently found out my father may have been conceived to a man other than my known grandfather.
They are all deceased, I don’t have brothers but I have a son and 2 male cousins who are sons of my fathers brothers.
If my son got a Y chromosomal dna test could this reflect a different ethnicity other than what we know?
Thanks
Gabi in Australia
Hi Gabi,
Y-DNA testing of your son would provide matches from the family of his father, not yours. Likewise, if your father had a different biological father than his brothers, Y-DNA testing for your male cousins would not help determine the identity of your father’s biological father.
Your autosomal DNA results could help answer this question. If you haven’t tested already, I’d recommend testing with AncestryDNA and uploading those results to MyHeritage DNA and FamilyTreeDNA. Testing with 23andMe may also reveal matches who haven’t tested on other sites.
-Gretchen
If you’re interested in a 45-minute consultation, you can arrange that on our website here: http://www.legacytree.com/genealogy-consultation
Thanks so much, Gabi!
This post was incredibly informative! I had a lot of questions about Y-DNA testing and you covered all the key aspects thoroughly. It’s fascinating to learn how much our ancestry can be uncovered through genetics. I’m especially intrigued by the potential insights into my family’s history. Thanks for breaking it down so well!
This blog post was incredibly informative! I never realized how much Y-DNA testing could reveal about ancestry and heritage. The detailed explanations on the who, what, and why really helped me understand the process better. I’m definitely considering getting tested now to uncover more about my family roots!
This post provided such a clear overview of Y-DNA testing! I loved how you broke down the who, what, and why in such a digestible way. It’s fascinating to think about how much our genealogical journey can be enhanced through genetic testing. Can’t wait to dive deeper into my family history!
This is such a comprehensive guide on Y-DNA testing! I appreciate how you broke down the complexities into manageable sections. The “Why” part really resonated with me, as I’ve been curious about my ancestry for a while now. Thanks for clarifying the process!
Thanks so much—we’re really glad you found the guide helpful! Y-DNA testing can definitely be a lot to take in, so we aimed to break it down in a way that makes it easier to understand. It’s great to hear the “Why” resonated with you. We’re excited for you as you explore your ancestry!
My great grandfather was born out of wedlock in 1884. Through autosomal testing, we have determined his identity, due to matches with numerous family members, circumstantial evidence, and family lore. My father has taken the FamilyTreeDNA 37 marker YDNA test and matched with numerous individuals with the same surname. No relatives from the same branch have tested as of yet. I have been in contact with other descendants from the legitimate side of the family. I have done descendancy research and identified a handful of patrilinear descendants, who are being contacted in hopes they may be willing to do a Y DNA test. My question is, how precise will the results be? I am happy to upgrade my father’s test to Y-700 and I am hopeful that a male line descendant from the other side will be willing to do a Big Y test also. If that happens, how closely will the Y-700 results be able to predict the common ancestor? The two testers will likely be from the same generation, both half second cousins, both great grandsons of the same individual. Can the results show that with precision?
Thank you for sharing your research—what an incredible amount of work you’ve already done! It sounds like you’re making great use of both autosomal and Y-DNA testing to uncover your family’s story. These are excellent questions, and to make sure you get the most accurate and personalized guidance, someone from our team will be reaching out to you directly very soon. We’re excited to help you take the next steps in your research!
How is YDNA used other than AncestryDNA? I purchased the kit, but the male I’m asking to do the test is not sure he wants to go forward since DNA is used for other things. Thank you