Within the last couple of years, ancestry DNA tests have taken off. More and more people are taking them to find out about their family history and heritage. Have you taken one? The most popular are ones like 23andMe (note: If you’re thinking of buying 23andMe, it’s on sale for $100 off right now!) and AncestryDNA, but more and more are hitting the market.
They can be a great way to connect with long-lost relatives, or relatives you didn’t even know you had! Plus, it’s fun to see and read about your family’s background.
If you’ve taken one of the tests, tell us about your experience in the comments. Thanks!
Yes! How else is the government going to be able to clone me into an army of super geniuses? (j/k. That want me for me sexy body!)
No, I see no need. Son did it and that is good enough for us.
Yes, and one of the nice things that’s come out of it is that some adoptee’s have contacted me because it shows some connection. While I can’t find where the connection is, I can tell them which side of the family they are on. 23&me shows connections in common. We have members of both my parents families that have done it.. So by seeing who the matches are I can tell them if they are related to my mothers or my fathers side. That narrows down the search for them.
35% English, 35% East European (Slovic, I expect), 30% wanderers.
According to my father’s family, I come from the Choctaw tribe. My paternal grandfather is listed in the Choctaw census. However, according to 23 and Me, I’m not.
I believe the family.
One thing – follow the directions. Ours said not to eat or drink for 30 prior to the cheek swab, no problems. Results came back as expected through what we knew of our family’s history. My sister did the same ancestry test, however never read the directions and drank minutes before swabbing – we now call her the adopted one as the results were completely different from mine. She re-did the test following the directions and guess what, we truly are related!
I did mine 10 years ago as part of a study on myeloproliferative diseases. As a participant, I did not have to pay for the kit. Ancestry was not part of the package back then. Since then I have upgraded to keep getting info on the medical side of things but the closest relative I’ve found is a 2nd cousin. I find it very interesting.
I’ve taken both Ancestry and 23&me. Through them I have connected with two first cousins whom I never had the opportunity to meet in person and we are now planning a family reunion. I also discovered a 1/2 brother I never knew about. THAT was a freak out moment. However, not totally unexpected. We all knew about my father’s affair, we just didn’t know about the child. In addition, I have discovered some health items that I was concerned about because they ran in the family, but I do not carry the genes. Doesn’t mean I can’t acquire those diseases, but I am not at higher risk because of my DNA. That is a relief.
Took the test a few years ago. The test shows more than ancestry. The ancestry part was interesting (at my age nobody left to ask), but the rest was less than half accurate, plus I got spam mail from them afterwards until I blocked it. Take it for fun if you have the money.
No way. Don’t need more problems in my life.
The ‘kit’ came as a gift. I did the swab and sent it in. No new info about where my grandparents came from but they wanted more info to go further. I said “no way” and that was the end of that. I really don’t care.
My husband and I both did Ancestry and now wish we hadn’t. I really hate that they now have our DNA on file. It was supposed to be fun but it’s now invasive and kinda scary. I advised our children and grandkids to skip it.
It’s exactly why I’m not interested. It’s also my response to Engineer.
All of these DNA testing companies sell your personal information too!
It’s interesting the number of people who have no interest in their true ancestry via a DNA test……
There’s a reason. I called Ancestry.com and asked them what they did with the swab I sent for the DNA analyses and they said they cryogenically freeze them. I’m assuming so they can sell the data of your DNA to companies for research. 23andme have been sued over this practice before. Imagine if a Insurance company bought this data and refused to issue a policy to someone that was predisposed to a disease that would cost them millions? Right now there’s laws preventing this but research companies are trying to remove that barrier. Do your homework before doing it, just saying.
You can solve that problem by not allowing the “health” portion. Then, IF they sell your specimen to some research lab or something like that – you my friend would be filthy rich!!!
Ive found some relatives that I knew little about because both of my parents had many siblings who had moved away or passed while I was very young and had little contact with them. Learned I was 14% native american. I dont really understand all the negative comments about this and social media that have been showing up in comments to the newsletter.
I have taken 2 DNA tests from different companies. Very interesting results with contacting or being contacted by formerly unknown DNA relatives. I have added to our family tree through these tests on both my side and my husband’s side of the family.
I was raised knowing that my paternal grandfather came from Canada and he was a French Canadian. My paternal grandmother was also French Canadian. My maternal grandparents emigrated from Canada were 100% Irish stock by way of their parents. We have records back to the late 1700’s on both sides. So when we had our DNA tests done by both 23andMe and Ancestry.com it showed only one surprise that confirmed a family myth, we do have Native American genes. Our guess is it’s from my paternal grandmother who’s maiden name is found in records back to the early 1600’s in Canada.
I am me. Does it matter who is in my past?
The total invasion of privacy is the problem. One person in your close family does the test and suddenly your familial links are in huge databases. I am not me anymore…
I really would like to know some things but not enough to be databased!
Am I really 3rd generation from a WW1 german prince?
Are my grandkids eligible for native american college grants?
Etc
Don’t see a need to as all my heritage back at least 200+ years is German. Did recently find my first outlier born in Norway about 300 years ago so his contribution is quite diluted by now. For various reasons, Covid & recent surgery included, I’m spending a lot of time on my genealogy research which I started over 30 years ago and then picked up last year. I have the educational bckground & experience for this so I’m having fun while I can.
Have a family history back into England.
Who guarantees that the reported results are real? There is no way to verify whatever fantasy they report. They may or may not be real results and they may or may not be a scam. Question everything.
Research the company you plan to use. Both 23&Me and Ancestry.com are reputable companies. But first and foremost you have to believe in science! If you don’t, you may view every company as a “scam”.
Yes took the 23&Me test as did my sisters and mom. Through this we found a first cousin. My mom’s brother had a daughter that no one knew about it because he died before she was born. She’s been a great addition to our family.
As Popeye always said, ” I yam what I yam, and that’s all that I yam.” I am who I am and will remain so. Knowing anything about my ancestry that I don’t already know (i.e., parents and both sets of grandparenrs) is merely noise and entirely unnecessary.
I’d be tempted, but my family has our lineage from Bibles and such going back to the early 1600’s in modern day Switzerland, France and Germany. Only bad news could come from any other use of this tech for me.
I have done both 23&Me and Ancestry.com I received a message through one of them from someone who was trying to gather family information about her father who was adopted and knew almost nothing of his birth parents. I could tell from the DNA results that he was related to my maternal side. I did some digging with that limited info and a few months later I could tell this person about ancestors back to the early 1500’s. It was very satisfying for me to be able to provide someone with knowledge about who/where they came from. If I were adopted I would want to know.
Cee – It’s great you were able to share that information! I’m adopted and found my full brother and, through him, my Hungarian birth mother via Ancestry.com. My birth father died decades ago but I feel so fortunate to have finally met my birth mother, who is 86. She told me the whole story of how she fled Hungary as a refugee and eventually settled in Canada. It was amazing seeing her original Hungarian documents and learning firsthand about the tough situations she faced that led to my birth and adoption in London 64 years ago. I’m sure that the information you shared meant a great deal to your maternal relative. Good for you!
I am so happy for you. Family is everything!
My father had our ancestry done professionally. I got the test just to see if it would be similar.It wasn’t. The professional search was documented.
I have not had the tests and don’t plan to. One reason is that I doubt the accuracy of them. Recently I read about identical twins whose DNA results were very different. Wouldn’t it be logical for them to have had the same results? Maybe not 100% the same but it seems to me that they should be very close.
I know all I want to know about me. Anything else is no one’s business. Sooner or later that gathered data will be sold to someone for some purpose or another. If it is in a computer it will be used for someone else’s profit. I do not want to know what I am going to die from. The worst would be some long lost relative finding me. We would not have anything in common but some gene? I know we landed in this country before it was a country and that is all I need to know. As a matter of fact, I think I should be accepted retroactively – being here before it was the USA – and therefore not have to pay taxes. Maybe I will try to get a law passed.
You must really be old if you were here before it was a country, me I’m satisfied being an American natural born citizen.
Me too Bob P, me too!
It is beautiful technology. I feel privileged to be alive when such information can be obtained. I praise our creator for this info. And the many relatives it has shown my wife and I are related to.
We both have our genealogy done for great information. Also we both have An ancestrybydna, ancestry and the IHC Heredigene population study to aid in detecting disease using genes ( anyone can join the study no matter where they live in the USA and probably Canada). Such a valuable tool for the future. They will also let participants privately know if they have genes related to diseases they have data about. I also have had some HLA genes determined through my employment with a company. All this information both my wife and I gladly hand over to our children for their use and knowledge.
My biological father was an American soldier in Korea, mid 1950. My biological mother a Korean woman. She gave me up to an orphanage and said my father had gone back to America. I was adopted and brought to the USA in 1957. Never knew anything about my biological parents. Fast forward to 2020. Through Ancestry.com and 23andme I found out I have a half sister and brother. I’m so glad I did the tests!
My wife bought kits from Ancestry. Mine is still sitting there, two years later. Maybe sometime.
My wife’s German mother did find out she was more British than German. That was a good laugh.
Both my wife and I took one. Confirmed what I knew about my linage but surprised my wife on hers. Also because of the test I found (or I should say she found me) my daughter that was given up for adoption in 1969 by my girlfriend. We had planned on marriage but her parents whisked her off to have the baby and adopt it out. It took 50 years but thanks to the test my life is fuller.
Happy for you. I found my bio father and he completely denied ever having a daughter. I am rejected on all sides of the spectrum. I guess love children are not wanted.
If you are afraid of the selling of your information, give them false information! It is for your information/use only.
This is false. Ancestry keeps all information private. But from the fine print the government can use the information if they are looking for a wanton criminal. Trust you me. The way my life has gone? They do not want another me. For me I wish I never started the search. Rejection is a bitter pill to swallow.
While some of the commenter’s have had a good experience with the DNA testing. I have heard many who’s results didn’t show their correct lineage. Since I’m a person concerned about privacy. I won’t do the test. 60 minutes did a story on the DNA testing. They also said China is after everyone’s DNA and are slick at some ways trying to obtain.
Ancestry is one of the best places to find your biological parents and/or just looking to see where you come from. I had to do a DNA to make sure I was related to what the documents said were true. Sadly my biological parents are dead and so are my adopted parents. For those thinking about looking for your bio folks take heed. This journey can end in heart and disappointment and resentment. This includes shunning. Good luck if you do. Rejection is a bitter pill to swallow.
While I have not used one of these services, my wife did a few years back and found her birth mother and extended family from 57 yrs prior. She knew she was adopted but had very limited information about her birth parents. Both her adoptive parents had passed years before and all of her attempts to find out more had come to dead ends. She now enjoys a wonderful relationship with her “Mom” (who is only 15 yrs older than she is), her half sisters, a full brother and dozens of extended family members! It really opened up a whole new world for her and answered many, many questions she had pondered her whole life…