Ancestry--Revised DNA ethnicity results

VirginiaB

Last night, I noticed that Ancestry has revised/updated its latest ethnicity estimates for me. They are also now calling it "Origins" instead of ethnicity. They do this periodically, as we know, but my new estimates seem less accurate than before. Has anyone else been updated yet?

Hermy

Yes, I've been updated too which is good but I'm not entirely happy about the new layout.

They seem to be determined to make the site as user-unfriendly as they can.

But on the DNA update it is interesting that now there's a French region of which I am only 21% - I would have expected closer to 50% - with 12% England, 12% Scotland, 3% Wales and 2% Germanic Europe.

So maybe my Breton birth father has some British roots which he'd not be at all happy about I'm sure! 😀

pinkypinky

Not really surprising @Hermy - Brittany people would have deep British ancestry.

Mine hasn't changed on the top level. Still 91% Irish, but my Scottish has trebled to 6% at the expense of my Welsh (was 4% now 2%). I do have a confirmed Scottish and Welsh ancestor.

I never had Ulster in the Irish breakdown before and I do now.

You can compare with the previous version easily. I always take screenshots so I can compare long term.

Mick Tator

@pinkypinky – I agree with you on Breton ancestry.

Many Brythonic speakers were pushed to what is now Brittany (some even to N. Spain) by the Angles and Saxons in the centuries after the Roman conquest of Britain failed in the 400s AD. AFAIK there is still much debate on some also settling in Ireland and some of the ‘Irish’ moving eastward to occupy western coastal region of ‘Britain’.

My origins have not changed with this upgrade which is not surprising. What is quite disappointing about the recent change is that in ‘upgrading’ my origins, Ancestry has used my tree as a basis for identifying my sub-regions. How? Several of my close cousins have tested and have input our shared ancestry from my tree, so the combined data provides location ‘mass’. (The cousins are principally in the US and have named the small hamlet we come from; Ancestry has named it.)

Comsewogue

I'm pretty disappointed with the update. I felt my results were accurate before, whereas now I think they're a bit of a mess.

BEFORE Regions Ireland 94%, Scotland 6%

AFTER Regions Ireland 93% (Connacht, Ulster & Northern Ireland), 5% France, 1% Iceland, 1% England & Northwestern Europe

My journeys stayed the same between updates.

Journeys Donegal (Inisowen), Leinster (North Leinster), Ulster (Central Ulster)

My Dad's side is Donegal/Tyrone (Finn Valley region) going back as far as records go. I was able to see some Scottish connections going way back through a 4th great-grandmother born Henderson and some DNA matches.

My Mum's side is Dublin, though going further quite a bit further back also leads to Wicklow, Wexford, Offaly, Waterford, and Armagh. Some "mixed" marriages could well explain the Scottish DNA - that 6% Scotland DNA was split evenly between my parents.

Nothing in my tree would suggest France, England, or Iceland! I'd probably have to back to the Anglo-Norman Invasion for it to make sense. I guess, I do have a lot of Norman names in the family… As for Iceland…Dublin Vikings? Who knows! Even the Connacht subregion doesn't make any sense. I think Ancestry made a mess of it, unfortunately :(

silliussoddius

I see 1% Netherlands popping up, 1% Scottish which I already had and the remaining as Irish. It has Donegal correct under Journeys, but has Pennsylvania in there. I’m assuming this is based on what matches have entered as their known ancestors locations.
Also I now need to buy a membership to see shared matches and look at people’s trees.

pinkypinky

Yes, they introduced a new level of DNA subscribers a few months ago.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122726006#Comment_122726006

Or what other companies call "the basics".

Mullinabreena

I went from 94% Irish, 3% Scottish, 3% Norwegian to 98% Irish, 2% Norwegian. I guess you'd have to take it with a pinch of salt. My sub regions are Connacht and ulster & Northern Ireland

Jellybaby_1

I’m just slightly down for Irish and Scottish, down for Swedish, down for Welsh, but massively higher for English/N.W. Europe and out of the blue I’ve a bit of German!! Crikey!