The Spanish colonization of the New World, during the 16th century and later, brought individuals with the surname Maldonado throughout Latin America. Place names such as Maldonado in Uruguay or in Mexico add to the visible evidence of how this surname has spread throughout the Americas. Individuals with this surname are also to be found through out Latin America (the highest concentrations being in Mexico and Puerto Rico) - raising the probability of how many distant cousins could be united by a DNA project such as this.

This project, in its broadest sense, aims to find out just which Maldonado lines are connected and what is the ethnic origin of these lines. Although the emphasis of this project is on the surname Maldonado, I am inviting all people connected to this surname through paternal or material lines to join - as a way of understanding this particular family clan better.