GOODWIN, GOODWINN, GOODWYN, GODWIN, GODWYN, GODDEN, GODDIN, GODDING, GOODIN, GOODING, GADEN, GIDEON, GOEDEN, GOITON, MACGUGAN, MACGUIGAN and any other reasonable spelling variations are welcome to join the project. Although there are several kinds of tests out there used for genealogical purposes, this project focuses mainly on the Y-Chromosome test which tests specifically for the Y-DNA that is inherited from generation to generation between direct line Goodwin (or variant) surname males. Testers who have taken the autosomal Family Finder test and the mtDNA test are welcome to join the project, however, most communication from this site is for the Y-DNA and interpretation of other test results is your responsibility. To participate meaningfully, Y-DNA testees are asked to share their direct male line ancestry back to the earliest known GOODWIN (or variant) ancestor by submitting a pedigree which excludes living persons to the project administrator. This pedigree will be shared with other project members, however the most distant ancestor and ID number are used for identification purposes in all public documents. In order to maximize the effect of combining the paper trails with the Y-DNA test results in determining common ancestors between lines, a 37 marker test is recommended. As of September 2013, we have 4 haplogroups represented – R, I, J and E and we have 11 distinct lines, 7 are Goodwins, 3 are Godwins, and 1 is mixed between Goodwins and Goodins. We are actively seeking more participants, particularly from the New England area and the UK and Ireland to help trace the Colonial VA and NC lines back to their European roots. We also use YSearch.org to facilitate the comparison of our members’ test results to those of 3rd party testing companies. Please visit our project website at http://www.familytreedna.com/public/goodwin/ to view our goals, results, news and updates. New kits can be ordered through the Goodwin project at a discount below. If you are an existing Family Tree DNA customer, you can join the project by logging into your Home Page and clicking on Projects. Then search for “Goodwin” and click the “join” button at the bottom of the page.