My immediate family was average sized for the time, but, unlike many of my friends, I had no cousins on my father’s side, and only 3 on my mother’s side. My father was adopted and raised as an only child, and my mother’s siblings had small families. My father never expressed an interest in his biological lineage, so that was that… my family tree was more of a family sapling… until I met my husband.

My husband’s interest in genealogy, and as I mentioned in a previous post, his gift to me of my family’s DNA analysis, and an Ancestry.com subscription got me rolling. When my father had his adoption records unsealed, the surnames that began to appear in my DNA matches began to make sense.

For those of you new to DNA testing for genetic genealogy, the results of your DNA test are entered into a database that contains others who have had their DNA tested, too. This provides you with the opportunity to connect with people who match (to varying degrees) your DNA and compare family trees to find your MRCA, most recent common ancestor. Please note: I’m referring to the autosomal test. The yDNA (paternal) and mtDNA (maternal) tests yield direct lineage.

My Family Tree: From Zero to 600+ in Two Years!

Remember that I began with no family history on my father’s side and a limited family history on my mother’s side? Well, not anymore! Here is a list of the surnames on my father’s side of the family. Some of these surnames match my DNA and I have been in touch with those people. We’re still looking for our MRCA. As more people have their DNA tested, my matches will continue to grow.

All of the surnames in my family tree (listed below) have come about through online research, much of it available at Ancestry.com.  I have also discovered a wealth of information by simply typing in the name and location of an ancestor in my favorite search engine. Are any of these names in your family tree? Drop me a line, cousin!