The Belding/Belden/Baildon Surname Project has been established to aid in genealogical research and to determine whether there is common relationship between persons bearing one of these surnames. A Surname Project traces members of a family that share a common surname using the Y-chromosome. Since surnames pass from father to son, only males bearing one of the variant spellings may take the Y-DNA test. Females do not have a Y-chromosome, so the tested individual must be a male in the direct paternal line (father; father; father; etc. . . .) We recommend the Y-DNA37 or Y-DNA67 marker test as the Y-DNA12 marker test is often insufficient to establish valid matches. A female who would like to know her direct paternal line can ask a male relative (grandfather, father, brother, uncle, cousin) with her birth surname to order a Y-DNA test. Please email me with any questions. Project Administrator, Betty Lou Malesky, CG (my mother was a Belding)