Genealogy Chat

Last year I had my own and my grddaughter's DNA done. We were amazed to discover that I have 1.1% Ashkenazi Jew and my Grddaughter has 1.3%.
This has never been discussed in our family going back 3 generations (I'm 82) and now we would like to no more.
Can someone please advise me as to the best way this can be done.
Many thanks for any help.
Judith

It’s a very small percentage and may mean very little !

Unless you go back many generations you may not find the connection

Yes, it is very small. It is really just a trace and you are unlikely to trace your lines back far enough.

How far back have you actually traced your ancestors?
Do you have a proven European heritage?


Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim, are a Jewish diaspora population who coalesced in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium
One of two major ancestral groups of Jewish individuals, comprised of those whose ancestors lived in Central and Eastern Europe (e.g., Germany, Poland, Russia). The other group is designated Sephardic Jews and includes those whose ancestors lived in North Africa, the Middle East, and Spain.

How do I know if I am of Ashkenazi Jewish descent?
If you have Ashkenazi Jewish DNA, you come from a line that goes into antiquity. The Ashkenazi Jews moved away from the Jews of the Holy Land so early on that their DNA is now distinct from other Jewish people.

The problem is that ethnicity estimates are quite crude. If it was Ancestry that did yours then the will have qualified the figures. For instance my Ancestry estimate says 1% Welsh ancestry but that is qualified as between 0% and 7%.

Your tree may not help. You need to go back 7 generations where ancestors will on average have contributed 0.78% each. However, say your tree was complete back to 7 generations (128 ancestors) that doesn't tell you the ethnicity composition. It could be that all are apparently English, say, but in the previous generations there were several of other ethnicities (eg females who married locals or males who anglicised their surnames).

Don’t forget that these companies can only extract data from the data they have. i.e from those that have tested.

I also have some AK according to Ancestry but other companies don’t mention it. Even the one using the same test results. Another company where I did a fresh test claim I am 100% English with a bit of Irish.

I have a ‘Jewish’ surname about 4 gens back, when I spoke with Jewishgen they laughed when I said how (little)much AK I had. It wasn’t relevant to the name ( which is a brick wall)

Edit: just checked my AK % and found it has been changed to 1%
Jewish people of Europe :-S

Thank you all for your advice and information.
I had my DNA done through My Heritage but I have my tree only in Genes Reunited.
My DNA shows 42% Irish,Scottish and Welsh, 34.7% Scandinavian, 22.2% English, 1.1% Ashkenazi Jew.
I was hoping that the trace could have been done through my family names as I have a maternal Gt Grandma who is quite swarthy looking but everyone else is quite fair.
I have over 850 names in my tree but only about 5 generations on her side.
Once again, thank you very much.
Very much appreciated.

I dug my folder out this morning.
Whilst Ancestry have me at 1.1% European Jewish ( prev AK) My Heritage, using the same results, have me at 3.2% AK.

Mmmm! I'll see if I can find a genealogist in the UK who might take me on as satisfying curiosity at my age becomes more urgent.
I'm in NZ so I can't go and visit places unfortunately.
However, thank you very much namelessone for your help.

How accurate do you find the other results? When MH do their next updates your % results will change.

A professional Genealogist will cost a lot of money looking into something that may have no answer. They would also spend time re doing your own research and asking you to pay for that time!

Don't forget that many Genes members really enjoy the hunt - so you could always ask if anyone can break down your brick walls.

Didn't realise some Gene members did that. Once again thank you very much. I hope someone will offer.

Judith

Put a few details on the Find Ancestors Board and it is bound to be picked up by several people. Sometimes having more than one researcher works well as the discuss their results.

I still think that it will be too distant unless you know yourself that relatives arrived in the UK from Europe.
Good luck

Names