percentage clarification

[sirsimon]

Hi everyone,

A bit confused about something and I would appreciate some advice

According to my results, I am 35% scottish, which is not huge, but quite significant as it means I am a third scottish.

However looking at my family history, I have gone back nine generations and none of them are from scotland.

I think my ancestors were from scotland as my surname is listed as a sept of clan gordon, but I heard once that 35% means a close relative within a few generations.

How is the percentage so high yet there are no relatives from scotland within ten generations?

any opinions would be appreciated

thanks

[Liz_in_Sussex]

Hi,

The ethnicity percentages are just an estimate and I would suggest should be taken with a fairly large pinch of salt! They change as the number of people testing increases and the companies have more data to play with.

I recently acquired 16% Scottish on Ancestry - I have no known Scottish ancestry and none of my other tests on other sites have suggested I am even a tiny % Scottish! Neither of my parents have any Scottish though.

At one point Mum was 100% Swedish - we were amused - it's true though that she has some Danish / German (the border moved) ancestry on paper but as far back and including her 2 x GG parents were all born here in Sussex. She has now lost most of her "Swedish" and is more what we would expect!

Liz

[sirsimon]

thanks liz

[M Marhoon]

Hi everyone,

A bit confused about something and I would appreciate some advice

According to my results, I am 35% scottish, which is not huge, but quite significant as it means I am a third scottish.

However looking at my family history, I have gone back nine generations and none of them are from scotland.

I think my ancestors were from scotland as my surname is listed as a sept of clan gordon, but I heard once that 35% means a close relative within a few generations.

How is the percentage so high yet there are no relatives from scotland within ten generations?

any opinions would be appreciated

thanks

Hello,

I think on another post you had said you have the surname "steel" in your family?

If you do, I also have Steel family on my mothers side. My great-grandmother was born in Scotland, and they were mainly based around Ayrshire in the South West.

After my Great grandmother, they moved to England and so there were no more Scots.

My sister has done a dna test with 23andme and the main area in Scotland it shows links to is Glasgow.

35% does seem like quite a bit as she had 10%. Unless coincidentally everyone that married into your family also had scottish ancestry!