The purpose of the Hatfield DNA project is to create a database which will enable us to identify the various families bearing the Hatfield or variant surnames. The results may make it possible to tell which families are connected in the male line, and as the database grows, to differentiate between branches within each family. While not a substitute for traditional paper genealogy research, genetic testing can often lead the way in getting past "brick walls" by suggesting a direction for the paper research to take. Though DNA results alone cannot prove the paper trail, they can help to back up that research, and a negative result can certainly disprove many incorrect assumptions. We also hope to identify the immigrant Hatfield ancestor of the several known Hatfield families in America.