Ancestry DNA test kits have been around for a while now, but if you haven’t bought one already, choosing the right DNA test kit for you can be quite intimidating. Your choice of DNA test will depend on the questions that you want to answer. Are you are looking to connect with new relatives or break down some genealogical brick walls? Or do you just want to find out more about where your genes come from (your biogeographical background sometimes referred to as ethnicity)?
Taking a DNA test is relatively easy, you send off for a kit which gets sent to you with instructions. You may be asked to spit into a small tube or you may be given a swab, like the ones used for covid testing. You then post your DNA sample back to the testing lab and wait for your results. DNA test results don’t come in the post, instead, you will be asked to log into a website and input a code to retrieve your results. This is because, although your DNA doesn’t change, the analysis about your biogeographical background will sometimes be updated and new matches to the database will be added.
You can download your DNA data and ask to be removed from any of the company databases. You can also upload your DNA data to many of the other companies to increase your chances of connecting with new relatives.
A DNA tests can be a useful resource for family historians. A DNA test can be considered as an investment which will grow more valuable as more people join the databases and you get more matches. Below we take a look at the pros and cons of the major DNA tests to help you choose the right one for you.
AncestryDNA test
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Best for: Connecting with new relatives and solving family history puzzles
Pricing: £79 for the AncestryDNA autosomal test; £94 for AncestryDNA and traits.
AncestryDNA has been responsible for taking DNA testing mainstream, and they now have the world’s largest autosomal DNA database of over 21 million people. The DNA test benefits from an easy-to-use interface and good integration with family trees. Sophisticated algorithms provide the most accurate relationship estimates. ThruLines and Common Ancestor hints make it easy to identify how you are related to your matches and the new SideView technology splits your DNA results by parent.
Your results will include biogeographical details broken up into over 1500 global regions but there is also a feature called ‘Genetic Communities’ which can pinpoint your origins to specific regions within countries with a remarkable degree of accuracy. For those wanting more detail about where in the UK their genetic inheritance comes from, there are plenty of regions and sub-regions giving granular detail of where your more recent family is from.
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If you pay extra for the traits reports you can find out more about 38 traits covering behaviour and personality, nutrients, fitness, sensory characteristics and appearance. It’s a bit of fun but won’t give you much insight into yourself that you probably didn’t know already.
A subscription is required to access all the features and to view the full trees of your matches. The lack of a chromosome browser and matching segment data is a disadvantage for advanced users who are interested in chromosome mapping. You will also need an Ancestry subscription if you want full access to the family trees that other users connect to their results as well as to get the most out of ThruLines and Common Ancestors and to access the genealogical records.
Finally, Ancestry is one of the only DNA testing companies that doesn’t let you upload your DNA test results from a different company to their database, so if you want to benefit from the connections you may make, then you have to test with them.
Buy now: £79, Ancestry.co.uk
LivingDNA test (also available via Findmypast)
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Best for: County level breakdown of British ancestry
Pricing: Ancestry test £99 (single test covering autosomal DNA, Y-DNA and mtDNA, currently only £79); Ancestry and Wellbeing test £179 (currently only £149). Findmypast sells an autosomal-only test for £79 with the option to add on Y-DNA and mtDNA reports for £19.90.
Living DNA offers a good biogeographical ancestry analysis for people with British ancestry with regional breakdowns at the county level. With the inclusion of Y-DNA and mtDNA deep ancestry information, this is a good all-round DNA test for someone who wants an overview of their genetic ancestry. As well as an excellent breakdown of British regions, it has 150 world regions including 72 in Africa.
Living DNA only began offering relative matching in February 2019. Few tools are currently available for working with matches and the database is small in comparison to the other companies (they claim over 300,000). However, the test is likely to be of interest to people in the UK, especially those who feel safer keeping their DNA data in Europe, and matches will be found here who have not tested elsewhere.
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The additional Wellbeing add-on gives you 14 wellbeing reports on your genetic response to fitness and nutrition. There’s also a Viking ancestry add-on that you can pay an extra £20 for that will give you a breakdown of any Viking inheritance you may have.
You can upload your DNA test results from other companies to their database to see if you have any matches in their database, however, there is an additional fee of £29 if you want their biogeographical ancestry reports.
Buy now: Currently only £79, livingdna.com
FamilyTreeDNA test
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Best for: Ancient DNA and distant connections and surname studies
Pricing (in US dollars): Autosomal Family Finder DNA test $79; Y-DNA test $119; mtDNA test $159
FTDNA are the market leader for both Y-DNA and mtDNA testing and the only testing company which has Y-DNA and mtDNA databases for genealogical matching (over 780,000 records in their Y-DNA database). Y-DNA testing is particularly useful as part of a surname study, and FTDNA host a wide variety of surname projects and geographical projects. Experienced and knowledgeable volunteer project administrators can often provide advice and help with the interpretation of results. FTDNA are not the first choice for autosomal DNA because of the smaller database and the limited range of tools but they were selling tests in the UK five years before AncestryDNA launched their test and you will find matches here that have not tested elsewhere.
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Buy now: $79 Family Finder test, www.familytreedna.com
23andMe DNA test
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Best for: Deep ancestry and health reports
Pricing: Ancestry + Traits £79; Health + Ancestry Service £149
23andMe offer a wide range of interesting, well written and attractively presented reports including detailed haplogroup reports for deep ancestry purposes and a Neanderthal ancestry report. 23andMe is the only company to have authorisation from the FDA to offer health reports direct to the consumer. The 23andMe test is less useful for UK genealogists because of the US-centric nature of the database and because so many people have tested for health rather than genealogy. However, it has a database of over 12.8 million and its health reports are interesting. Like Ancestry, it does not let you upload results from other companies to their database, so you need to test with them if you want to benefit from their database or health reports.
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34 trait reports included with the Ancestry test look at physical features, taste and smell and weird and wonderful (eg, ability to match musical pitch, fear of public speaking). 8 wellness reports including lactose intolerance. The Health and Ancestry test provides 14 reports on health predisposition and 45 reports on carrier status (for conditions such as cystic fibrosis).
A 23andMe+ membership costs £19 per year and provides access to additional health and wellness reports and exclusive pharmacogenetic reports. There are also some additional ancestry features such as the ability to view 5000 matches.
Buy now: £79 Ancestry and Traits, 23andme.com
MyHeritage DNA test
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Best for: Special offers, European ancestry and DNA analysis tools
Pricing: £79 for autosomal Ancestry test
MyHeritage provides support in 42 languages and their DNA test is now very popular in continental Europe. It is a good choice if you are looking to make connections in non-English-speaking countries. The company also occasionally offers good discounts, often tied to events such as Father’s or Mother’s Day. With a quickly growing database of about 5.2 million people there may well be relatives that you can match with.
The Theories of Relativity tool can help to identify how you are related to your matches. There are a number of features for advanced users such as autoclusters and a chromosome browser. Unfortunately the tree-building and matching facilities are restricted with the free MyHeritage service. Enhanced family tree subscriptions are available to access additional features such as the facility to include more than 250 people in your tree, the ability to search trees, smart matches and instant discoveries.
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You can upload your DNA data from other testing companies to the MyHeritage database. Although matches are free, unless you have a data or family tree subscription you will need to pay a one-time unlock fee of $29 to access the trees of your matches and additional features including the biogeographical ancestry report, the chromosome browser, autoclusters and Theories of Relativity.
Buy now: £79 Ancestry test kit, www.myheritage.com/dna
How does DNA testing work?
DNA testing is a very important tool for the family historian. It can help to verify your family tree and provide helpful clues to inform the future direction of your research. It can also sometimes help to break down those long-standing brick walls.
DNA has the power to solve previously impossible cases. Foundlings, adoptees and donor-conceived individuals now have a very real chance of finding half-siblings and other close relations in the databases, which can lead to the identification of their biological parents.
If you have a match with a second cousin, it means that you share the same great grandparents. It’s then just a question of tracing the descendants to identify a suitable candidate who was in the right place at the right time.
Success stories are reported on a daily basis in America and we’re now starting to get reports from the UK as well. As the databases grow, we can expect to see many more unknown parentage cases solved.
What to expect from a DNA test
As with traditional genealogical research, DNA testing can provide surprises so be prepared for the unexpected. You might uncover family secrets by matching with a cousin or a half-sibling that you didn’t know existed. Conversely a relation who is expected to share DNA with you might turn out not to be a genetic relative at all. In rare cases, people discover that their parents are not their biological parents. For a good overview of the ethical implications of DNA testing see the Genetic Genealogy Standards.
However, DNA testing is not a magic bullet and it won’t provide you with an instant family tree. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot take a DNA test to discover who you are and where you come from. The value of the DNA test lies in the comparison process, so it’s important to use a company that has a matching database.
How to use a DNA test
DNA is best used in combination with genealogical records in order to form conclusions about relationships. The DNA test itself is completely harmless; you just need to provide a cheek swab or a saliva sample.
What are the different types of DNA test?
There are three different types – autosomal DNA, Y-chromosome DNA and mitochondrial DNA – all of which have specific applications. Sometimes a combination of different tests will be required to solve a particular problem.
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How much does a DNA test cost?
Depending on the company and the type of test ordered, the price of DNA tests in the UK varies from £79 to £149. Most DNA testing companies have sales regularly, so it’s worth keeping an eye on our family history special offers page to see when they’re happening.
How long does a DNA test take?
After you have sent your DNA test result back to the company, it will take up to eight weeks before you get your results.
How accurate are home DNA tests?
Although they can give you useful insights into your family’s past, it is important to understand that the reports you will receive about your ancestry are based on assessments made by assessing reference populations within the company’s database or academic studies. These estimates are still evolving as we find out more about the genetic markers that are linked to different populations in the world. Ethnicity reports are updated fairly regularly so you may find that a report suggests you have 20% Scottish ancestry only to find that assessment is decreased, increased or completely removed a year later.
Matching is more reliable. Matches to others on the database will have a suggested relationship which is also based on an estimate. How much DNA we may have inherited from a specific great great grandparent is random and so some people in the database with less shared genetic material may actually be more closely related to you than someone who has more. Where shared genetic material is very small, it may be that you are not related at all.
Genealogy DNA test case study
In my research into my Cruwys ancestors in Devon, I hit a brick wall trying to find William George Cruwys (born 1821), the brother of my great great grandfather, Thomas Cruwys (born 1831). William disappeared from English records after the 1841 census. I found a William of the right age in Prince Edward Island, Canada, but couldn’t find any records to confirm a link, though naming patterns provided a strong clue.
Frustratingly, the 1848 marriage certificate I obtained didn’t include the parents’ names. Y-DNA tests on my dad and a descendant of the Prince Edward family showed that the two lines were related though Y-DNA cannot pinpoint the date when two people share an ancestor.
However, a year later an autosomal DNA match popped up in the Family Tree DNA Family Finder database with a cousin in Canada. His ancestors were from Prince Edward Island, and he was the great great grandson of William Cruwys through a female line.
If our family trees were correct, he would be my dad’s third cousin once removed. The amount of DNA we shared was within the expected range for the presumed relationship, thus providing confirmation that the tree was correct.
The chromosome browser shows a comparison between my dad and his third cousin once removed. The three blue shapes on chromosomes 1, 3 and 11 are the segments of DNA that they share in common through descent from their mutual ancestors William Cruwys senior (1793-1846) and Margaret Eastmond (1792-1874), the parents of Thomas and William George.
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Glossary of DNA testing terms
AUTOSOMAL DNA
DNA inherited on the autosomes: the 22 chromosomes which are not sex chromosomes. Inherited from both parents.
CHROMOSOME
A structure in a cell’s nucleus containing genetic material. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes: 22 autosome pairs and one pair of sex-chromosomes. Females have two X chromosomes. Males have an X and a Y chromosome.
HAPLOGROUP
A group of people who descend from the same branch of the human family tree.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA (mtDNA)
DNA found in mitochondria – the power houses in our cells. mtDNA, passed from mother to child, can trace the direct maternal line.
SHORT TANDEM REPEAT (STR)
A repeating pattern in a DNA sequence. The number of repeats at a specific location is reported as a marker value. Standard Y-STR tests report results for 37 markers.
SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISM
Single base pair mutation in a DNA sequence.
Y CHROMOSOME DNA (Y-DNA)
Y chromosome DNA is passed from father to son, and is used to trace the direct paternal line.
For more information, see the full International Society of Genetic Genealogy glossary here.
Debbie Kennett is a genetic genealogy expert and the author of The Surnames Handbook and DNA and Social Networking