DNA

I know we had this discussion a few years ago. Wonder what were the most successful companies to use,more accurate,more info,etc. Thinking of trying it even though I have worked on my genealogy quite extensively. There always can be a surprise.

We used Ancestry.com. I was impressed that it flagged a second cousin of mine as a "close relative" based on our DNA samples even though we have different surnames and had given them no info to suggest the relationship and do not live in the same area.

It was really interesting to get the results. I came out about 10% Caucasian/Middle Eastern - my family on both sides has been Italian as far back as we can tell, but from an area of Italy that had significant trade interaction with the Middle East and the Caucasus in the MIddle Ages. Maybe that accounts for some of it. It also picked up some European Jewish ancestry - we have a number of family surnames ending it "i" and Italian tradition has it that many such names indicated Jewish heritage somewhere along the line. So there were some interesting surprises for me when I looked at the results! Loved seeing what might have come before me.

There are about three provinces in southern Italy that can share DNA with North Africa and/or the Balkan states due to migratory patterns and trade.

I used ancestryDNA and I also got an independent validation.  It listed two highly probably matches as first cousins, who are in fact my first cousins.  It didn't show me any real surprises.  My family has always said that both sides of my father's family are Irish, my maternal grandfather was Irish, and my maternal grandmother was English/Welsh.  The DNA result matched almost completely -- 73% Connacht Irish, 17% UK, and 5% Iberian Peninsula (which isn't unusual given the Spanish incursion into Ireland).  The remaining % was considered low probability of match, and included Scandinavia and India.  (Although it's certainly possible an English ancestor brought a spouse or child home from India). I'm glad I took the test, and so far in the few months since I did, I got a message from a likely 3rd cousin in Ireland who invited me to join a Facebook genealogy group for Mayo County.

@annielou my family comes from Liguria and they historically traded with the Black Sea area. The Venetian tended to trade more with the eastern Mediterranean area. I do have some southern Italian ancestry on one side though, so who can say for sure.