Thursday, February 17, 2022

DNA Ethnicity Estimates 2022

 Back in 2012 I started testing my DNA at AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, and 23&MeDNA.  In a 2013 post, I compared the ethnicity estimates given by the three companies.  Click here to view the 2013 post.  Since those initial results, my ethnicity results have changed a little but not much.  Below are my current estimates given by the four major DNA companies that I now work with.

AncestryDNA Ethnicity Estimate

Last Updated September 2021

Family Tree DNA myOrigins 


23&Me Ancestry Composition


MyHeritage Ethnicity Estimate



As seen in the ethnicity estimates from the four DNA companies, I am basically 100% European.  Each DNA company breaks the ethnicity percentages down a little differently.  AncestryDNA combines England and Northwestern Europe, but has separate percentages for Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.  FamilyTreeDNA combines England, Wales, and Scotland into one percentage.  23&MeDNA combines England (including Scotland) and Ireland.  Then MyHeritageDNA separates England but then combines Ireland, Scotland, and Wales into one percentage.  A majority of my DNA is from the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.  

I know who some my English, Scottish, Irish, and German ancestors are, and have a pretty good guess which of my ancestors came from Wales. Although I know where a few of my other immigrant families came from, most of my ancestors are still stuck in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Virginia in the early 1700's, Northwest Territory in the late 1700's, or east Tennessee in the early 1800's.😞😞  HELP WANTED -- Get me across the pond!

My paternal grandfather was German - 100% German. Or, so I have always believed and the research supports. My grandfather's father was born in Germany and his mother was born in America to German immigrants.  The genealogical records for both of my Grandfather's lines can be traced through parish records in Germany back to the 1600's. So basically my DNA should show German Ethnicity at about 25% (+/- a few %).  My German ethnicity shows up at both FamilyTreeDNA (35%) and 23&MeDNA (53.9%), but not at AncestryDNA or MyHeritageDNA.  Why the discrepancies??  My Dad should show 50% German at Ancestry but he only shows 34%.  It's puzzling to me just why my ethnicity does not show any German!?!?

Another one of my more puzzling ethnicities is Scandinavian - mainly Sweden. I show anywhere from 18% at AncestryDNA down to 5.40% at MyHeritageDNA.  I have no clue which of my ancestors may have come from Sweden/Scandinavia.  Hopefully someday I will find this mysterious Scandinavian ancestor(s).😉


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