DNA can change everything

[Jack Daw]

I had my Y-DNA (with 67 markers) test a few years ago. My Haplogroup indicated Celt-Iberian; but so far, I've only matched 12 alleles with about a dozen persons with the last name of Skene/Skean. Information indicates that we shared the same ancestor roughly a thousand years ago before the use of surnames. But, still.

[Micric]

RE. MacGregors;

As it was Illegal to be a MacGregor for a very long time, no wonder people turned to alternative names!

I think we are what we are, and it matters not if we have some Norse or Gaelic or Saxon blood.

[Mike S]

RE. MacGregors;

As it was Illegal to be a MacGregor for a very long time, no wonder people turned to alternative names!

I.e. the surname Petrie in the case of my MacGregor ancestors.

[Bluescelt]

Being a card carrying member of Clan Donnachaidh for 20 years and will continue to even though my DNA seems to point to a different origin shows that especially today clan members choose their clan not only by genetic connection but by the relationships we forge. It is interesting that by my match with Sir Malcolm MacGregor I could also qualify to join Clan MacGregor.

[RichardM]

I think there is a tendency to over rely on DNA. It will show a connection to specific family members. But in using it to identify with a CULTURE it is more problematic. My family history in Appalachia that was settled by Scots-Irish immigrants predates the American revolution. So culturally I could wear a tricone or three cornered hat and dress like Daniel Boon. Why I choose to go back farther in time and identify with Scotland as a cultural connection is a personal choice as much as it is a bloodline connection. The people you call family is really more important that what your bloodline connection is.

[Father Bill]

I read somewhere that with ancient DNA being tested, there's an interesting fact that consistently for centuries somewhere around 7% of the human race didn't have the fathers they thought they did. Track that back at the rate of 7% for every generation for centuries, very few of us are likely who we think we are.

Nonetheless, all of these folks proudly carry the names they have (well most of them) so who really cares!

[Geoff Withnell]

Or as one of the Sages in the Talmud said (highly paraphrased) - Motherhood is an observed fact. Fatherhood is an opinion.

I read somewhere that with ancient DNA being tested, there's an interesting fact that consistently for centuries somewhere around 7% of the human race didn't have the fathers they thought they did. Track that back at the rate of 7% for every generation for centuries, very few of us are likely who we think we are.

Nonetheless, all of these folks proudly carry the names they have (well most of them) so who really cares!

[Mike S]

Related to the recent revelation of the Neills and their Viking ancestry rather than "Celtic";

DNA has recently thrown light on the fact that my North Carolina McCain ancestors are related to the Niall-O'Neill dynesty, Viking in descent, and that my branch are in fact MacLachlans of Glassary, Argyll and not the MacIan/McCain/MacDonalds of Glencoe as was previously thought.

[Damion]

It's stuff like this, and I suspect many people already knew this but didn't want to admit it, that makes me wonder why new clan groupings aren't more forthcoming. I guess it's easier to group using the old ones but new ones would be more genuine and a true reflection of the clan system.

I recall reading about a study done on black american origins. The "indian" ancestry that many of them thought they had was actually european, I guess it was just more fashionable to have indian ancestry than white. It's the same for those that claim their Scottish ancestry and get quite serious over it even if only one great grandparent was actually from there. Meanwhile some chinese guy joins a pipeband and couldn't give two hoots he has zero Scottish ancestry, he just likes the culture without feeling he has to justify why.

[Nathan]

People always forget about false paternity events when they are studying genetics. Your Clan is the family who raised your ancestors and not necessarily the marauding Vikings who sometimes took unwelcome liberties with the Hebridean women folk.

To be sure, some clans are descended from Norse immigrants, but other clans that trace their lineage to a certain dynasty, can rightly claim descent from that dynasty even if somewhere in the family tree there's a secret hidden that DNA has exposed.