The Howell Surname Y-DNA project - Family Project Website

The Howell Surname Y-DNA project

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Group Administrator: Jean Howell jhowell0@cox.net

Project Surnames:

Howell

Project Background:

The project began in late spring of 2001 with a narrow focus: to test paper documented descendants of two contemporary colonial Long Island, New York Howell settlers--Edward Howell of Buckinghamshire, England and Southampton, New York, and Richard Howell of Southold, New York--to resolve the decades-old question of a possible relationship between the two men. Results confirmed that the two Howell colonists were unrelated, with different ethnic and geographic origins.

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Project Goals:

Since January 2002 the donor base has grown to a current participation of 92 Howell men with roots in Canada, the midwest, several mid-Atlantic states, the south from Virginia to Alabama and Georgia,and overseas in Wales and England. Project goals have expanded to eventually identify every Howell line in America, to find a Y-DNA match for all participants, and to link American Howell lines to their cousins overseas, particularly in the British Isles.

Project News:

Y-DNA analysis has helped many donors sort out their early Howell origins. In a small geographic area with several settlers bearing the same surname, lines can become entangled through faulty records and oral traditions. These errors may then be handed down through generations. More than one writer of Howell histories has written to express satisfaction that through the Howell Y-study truth has been shed on some questionable ties. We look forward through Y-analysis to helping more Howells find the right direction in their research and to link up with new genealogical cousins.

Project Results:

Currently test results are available for 90 participants, revealing 40 unique Y chromosome 12-marker strings. Members' results are now sorted into subgroups indicating exact or close matches. Subgroup headings list the name of the earliest proved Howell ancestor among the matching donors and/or the geographical area of American or British origin.

Not only have distinctly different patterns been established for three early Long Island Howells but also for a fourth colonial settler, Hugh Howell of New Jersey. Several Howells have found one-step mutation matches on 12 marker tests, indicating possible shared ancestry. The best way to confirm shared ancestry on an 11/12 marker match is to extend testing to 25 markers. Test results have also shown that many project participants have a 12 marker pattern that is the most common Y-DNA signature in Europe's most common Y-DNA group. Because of the high frequency of appearance of this pattern in FamilyTreeDNA's database and to more accurately predict the time to a most recent common ancestor, it's recommended that new donors sign up for the 25 or 37 marker test.