What is a Surname DNA project?
Since y-DNA correlates so closely with the surname (both y-DNA and surnames are passed down from father to son), a surname DNA project is a good place to look for genetic relatives. By using the results of DNA testing, along with other information and family pedigrees, participants can identify those with whom they share a common ancestor.
A surname DNA project is a focused effort within a surname and its spelling variations, which works to find how families are (and are not) genetically connected. The test uses DNA from a man’s y-chromosome to identify genetic markers, which have been passed from Father to Son. Most of the time, an exact copy of the father’s yDNA used for Surname testing is passed to the son, but mutations sometimes occur, giving us the ability to use this science in genealogy. Based on the matches and differences in these markers that occur between individuals, probabilities of relationship to a common male ancestor can be made and genetic families can be identified. Since the focus of Surname DNA testing is on the common early ancestors, most Surname Projects identify test participants by their earliest known ancestor of that surname.
