About us
The purpose of the Kepford DNA Project is to explore and document Kepford and Gepford diversity using the latest developments in genetic genealogy, and encourage communication between descendants. All males named Kepford or Gepford (or variant spellings) are encouraged to test and join the project, particularly those who know little or nothing about their ancestry. Female descendants can have a male relative (a brother, father, cousin, etc) tested as a representative of their paternal line. It's recommended that you test for 37 markers if possible (rather than 12 or 25), which will provide the best comparisons with other project members.
Over 90 different spellings of the surname are found in 17th and 18th century records. Currently represented in the project are two unrelated families, each with a characteristic DNA 'signature'. Most are descendants of Johannes (Hans) Goepfert, born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in 1699, who emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1739. It is expected that there will be other distinct (particularly Gepford) lines which are currently undocumented. To view the project results, click on the 'DNA Results' tab at left.
The project maintains a genealogy database of over 1500 Gepfords, Gibfords, and Kepfords past and present, which may be helpful if you have questions about your ancestry, or have reached a 'brick wall' in your research. The database is not online, but we will search for your ancestors free of charge, in exchange for information on your line.
If you have tested with FTDNA, but are not yet a member of this project, click on the 'Join' tab above. Those with Y-DNA results from other testing companies can transfer their results to FTDNA for a small fee. There are definite advantages to doing so, including matching your results against the full FTDNA database, as well as opportunities for further testing.
Members are encouraged to explore other DNA testing options. Those who have already done SNP testing should also join the appropriate Y-DNA haplogroup project. Members with maternal-line (mtDNA) test results are encouraged to join the relevant mtDNA haplogroup project.
The General Fund is an FTDNA feature that allows individuals to donate money for testing by other current or potential project members. Donations can be anonymous if desired.