Geneology Question?

Question

Does anyone know if it`s possible to get a bloodtest or something to test how much Celtic/ Norman/ etc blood I have? My self and my boyfriend are in constant competition as to who is more Celtic, him or me and I was wondering if science could provide the answers.
We are both from Dublin but his surname is Gaelic in Origin and mine is norman. He says this is proof that he has won, but I argue that a surname and your actual geneology are two seperate things. After all, considering one single surname has been in the country for so long, it has been diluted with every new pairing, and in most cases the name has been carried along the male line, therefor leaving no record of the female geneology Celtic or otherwise , added to the line again and throughout the ages. So now I wonder can we actually be TESTED (blood etc) to assertain what genes we are carring, heritage wise?
Does anyone know of anywhere we could have this done or anyway of biolologically testing your ancestry ?

Answer 1

There is a test that can be used to determine what you want...its called mtDNA testing. I don't know if it is open to the public, but if it is, I'd assume it to be horribly expensive!

But why bother? I'm not trying to be mean here...but if it weren't for women getting married and having children to perpetuate a lineage, the Celtic world would long ago have become extinct. So, if your boyfriend insists on being "more Celtic" let him. What women know in the secret recesses of their hearts, men can never understand nor take from them.

Answer 2

Well if your surname is Norman,Fitz-something for example, then you are most likely Norman from the male line and if his surname is Gaelic then he is Gaelic through the male line. As you know there were Normans and Scandinavians in Ireland and they both became "more Irish than the Irish." Also many Normans gaelicized their surnames early on and later from the mid 16th century on many Gaelic surnames were anglicized. In that area you are quite correct. I find it unlikely that there are many, if any, people in modern Ireland who are 100% Celtic. Still what you can do is have your DNA tested. There are many surname groups which are testing their DNA in search of a common ancestor. Part of the results of DNA are a genetic haplotype which determine whether a person's direct male line is Celtic, Nordic, etc. below is a link. It is an American company but maybe they can help. Also look up your surnames on the internet. There may be a Clan, Sept or Family association for people with your surname who could direct you to a DNA tester in Ireland. One more thing: they don't draw blood for the test, they send you a kit and you just swab the inside of your cheek.
Ádh mór ort!

Answer 3

A DNA test would not put an end to your argument.

There are two possible tests that can be done. You (a female) can get a mtDNA test. This test will give you a haplotype for your mother's mother's mother's (ad infinitum) line. This signature can be compared with genetic markers to determine commonality by region. This however, would only tell you a vague area, since most Northern Europeans are too similar genetically to be widely separated. Moreover, it would only tell you about one of thousands (if not millions) of ancestors.

Your boyfriend can get the Y-chromosome test (father's father's father (ad infinitum), however the same caveats apply, it tests one one line of thousands and isn't differentiated enough to be meaningful, when you're dealing with such genetically similar populations as Celtic Northern Europeans vs. Germanic Northern Europeans.

What you'd both likely get is a result that shows similarities with populations in Ireland, Wales, France, the Low Countries, Scotland, England and Scandinavia - in short, the historically known populations that lived in/colonized/invaded Ireland.

Answer 4

There is also a free test you can take through the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation
2480 S Main Street #200 Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
[phone]
(800) 344-SMGF (7643)
[e-mail]
www.smgf.org

Answer 5

Yes, there are 2 tests, but a Y test would only be available to your bf. So you would want to take an mtDNA test which is the DNA passed down from your mother. This is DNA that your bf will never pass down to his kids, so no matter how celtic he may be from his mother, his kids won't be that celtic.
Tests are generally about $100 sometimes a bit more.
http://www.genetree.com/index.php
http://www.oxfordancestors.com/
http://www.relativegenetics.com/relativegenetics/index.jsp
http://www.tracegenetics.com/
https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html

Answer 6

The University of Leicester has been in the news recently for their research in DNA / surname connections. Contact them at [e-mail]