DNA Surname Study

Welcome to the GGFA DNA Study Pages

The combination of YDNA, autosomal DNA, and traditional genealogy research has the potential to solve centuries-old mysteries. With about 300 yDNA results and 500 autosomal DNA (atDNA) results in the Goff/Gough project, each new test taker has a good chance of finding a meaningful match. These matches, along with research in historical records, may break down brick walls where records are scarce or long-distance migration creates continuity problems.

The Goff/Gough Surname DNA Study to date has identified over 30 genetically distinct families, based on Y-chromosome testing. The Y chromosome is passed along only from father to son, virtually unchanged, much like surnames. Each of these YDNA families began with one male founder who took the Gough/Goff/Goffe as a hereditary surname. The earliest Goff/Gough YDNA family can be traced to the mid-1500s about 250 years after the introduction of surnames. Male line descendants on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean have been reconnected through YDNA matching.

Most, but not all, of the 30+ YDNA Goff/Gough families were discovered through testing at Family Tree DNA. The latest YDNA results table includes haplogroup and haplotype information that was used to identify these 30+ genetically distinct families. Haplogroups represent branches of the paternal family tree of mankind. For example, haplogroup I-M253 was founded in Northern Europe and is a child of haplogroup I-M170, which was founded in the south of Central Europe. Haplotypes are strings of numbers that show how many times each YDNA STR marker is repeated. These markers contain clues about where that kit owner fits into the paternal family tree of mankind. For example, DYS455=8 means that there are eight copies of the DYS455 marker. The hint is that this number of repeats is almost exclusively found in haplogroup I-M2