Author Topic: Romany DNA - what would you expect to see?  (Read 101631 times)

Offline hurworth

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,333
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Romany DNA - what would you expect to see?
« on: Tuesday 17 November 15 09:21 GMT (UK) »
I'm trying to rule out or in a possibility here for a male ancestor who was born in the late 1840s.

If a descendant (great grandchild) did a DNA test (Family Finder, and uploaded to Gedmatch) what might indicate Romany ancestry, and which of the various origins tests on Gedmatch is best?


Offline CathrynJ

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 34
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Romany DNA - what would you expect to see?
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 06 January 16 15:51 GMT (UK) »
Hi there,

I had this same question, below is part of a reply I received from the owner of the Romany DNA Project on FamilyDNA.

Basically he is saying through the autosomal test (which gives you a broad continent %age of you dna) you may or may not see a small south asian %age and this test really is inconclusive.

I had my autsomal test done through ancestry.com. I will next be putting the results through FamilytreeDNA https://www.familytreedna.com/products.aspx.

This site matches your dna with other peoples, so you use your dna to build your family tree and this way can build a picture if there is a romany lineage.

I believe that you can do a deeper dna test which is the "Fathers line" or "The mothers line" on the Family dna site. However for this to work, the romany ancester has to be your fathers fathers father (and so on etc etc) or mothers mothers mother (etc etc).

In my case the potential romany ancester is my fathers mother, so I can't use these tests.

Good luck! Here is his message:

" ... You may or may not show a small South Asian percentage on your autosomal report, but that hasn't as much meaning to me, what does have more meaning to me is matching existing Romany participants and there are multiple Romany whom have done the autosomal test. I do not put a lot of faith in to the admixture population reports because those reports are grossly lop sided towards the European population, so it may find some percentages to certain populations like the Romany, or may not find any at all.

I know of male Romany "Rom" whom are in Y Haplogroup H1a - M82 which is clearly South Asian in origin, but their autosomal reports shows zero percent South Asian. Because of admixture, the mixing of Romany and Europeans over the last 1000 to 2000 years, Romany on an autosomal genetic level are more European today then South Asian. What has more meaning to me personally is the DNA matches you will have because that is really what that test is more about, finding related family members whom share autosomal DNA with you. The autosomal test works exactly as it was intended, I found two cousins through that test, one is my paternal grand mothers nephew, and one is my grand aunt's grand son, so the test is best if used for it's primary purpose, to find related family members and not 100% rely on what the admixture report has to say because those admixture reports are heavily biased towards the European population.



Offline janicejo

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 112
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Romany DNA - what would you expect to see?
« Reply #2 on: Monday 15 February 16 20:18 GMT (UK) »
My experience - South Asia DNA was a good marker for me.  I am a DNA match to someone in the Stanley family, and he was thoughtful enough to send me a reply with some of my surnames that are often used by Romany's.  This was confirmed when I put my DNA data of GEDmatch.  I found a very close relative there, and he matches quite nicely with me on my X chromosome.  We only have 2% South Asia DNA, so it was more important to do a little family history than a DNA test, to find out when my ancestors were in the Romany culture.  Which was in the 1800's, not what one would expect with 2% South Asia DNA.
      FYI - my Romany ancestors are William Riley, b. around 1775, and Elizabeth Swagg Meriden, b. 1778 Great Packington, Warwickshire, to Mary and John "Swagg of Meriden".  Elizabeth used Meriden when she got married.

Offline CathrynJ

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 34
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Romany DNA - what would you expect to see?
« Reply #3 on: Monday 15 February 16 21:25 GMT (UK) »
Hi there, thanks for the reply! I just got my dna data back, I have a really busy few weeks, cant wait till I have a spare monent to do some more research with the new information.


Offline janicejo

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 112
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Romany DNA - what would you expect to see?
« Reply #4 on: Monday 15 February 16 23:08 GMT (UK) »
Congrats on your DNA test!  Back in 1982, I got my Master's degree in Genetics.  But I never really used it, worked as a Chemist instead.  Now that I'm not working,  I'm discovering that a lot of people don't know how to use genetics in their DNA genealogy search.  For example, most people don't know how to follow an X chromosome match back to the common ancestor.  They forget that it can be passed from father to daughter.  So I have started a blog for anyone who'd like to know how to use genetics in their ancestry searching. Its at: http://ancestraldnaexplained.blogspot.com/

Offline CathrynJ

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 34
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Romany DNA - what would you expect to see?
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 16 February 16 09:24 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for sharing your knowledge on this.

Offline rebekahm28

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 666
    • View Profile
Re: Romany DNA - what would you expect to see?
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 28 May 16 22:31 BST (UK) »
I had my DNA test on Ancestry. Uploaded it to Gedmatch and got quite a few matches. I have British and Eastern European (my mums non-gypsy side, I expected this) so I assume the Iberian Peninsuala (Spain/Italy/Portugal) results are my dad's Romany gypsy side.
Casaubon (Geneva, London), Daulinge, Berners, McMullen (Nottingham), Tabb (Leics), Mycock (Derbys & Staffs), Gilbert (Notts), Price (s Wales), Krilovs/similar, gypsy Roberts, gypsy Clark, Bexell (Sussex), gypsy Elliott, Raven, Neligan (Co Kerry), Rymer, Newton (Hull).

Offline janicejo

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 112
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Romany DNA - what would you expect to see?
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 28 May 16 22:45 BST (UK) »
The original Romany DNA is "South Asia", from India where our people originated from 1500 years ago.  I think for English Romanys a lot of Iberian got mixed in.  In Britain, that is mostly the people in Cornwall and maybe Wales.  I'm going to PM you with my gedmatch number, you can pm me back with yours. I'll show you some interesting things you can do on GEdmatch.

Offline rebekahm28

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 666
    • View Profile
Re: Romany DNA - what would you expect to see?
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 29 May 16 19:45 BST (UK) »
None of the Romany families I know have dna from Asia though, so Im thinking there are more of us with Spanish gypsy blood than we actually realise.
Casaubon (Geneva, London), Daulinge, Berners, McMullen (Nottingham), Tabb (Leics), Mycock (Derbys & Staffs), Gilbert (Notts), Price (s Wales), Krilovs/similar, gypsy Roberts, gypsy Clark, Bexell (Sussex), gypsy Elliott, Raven, Neligan (Co Kerry), Rymer, Newton (Hull).