The Looney DNA Project was started at Family Tree DNA in April 2005, with one participant---a Looney whose genealogy was traced to Robert Looney (c1692-1700), who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 1720s.  The family tradition of Robert Looney descendants was that he was a native of the Isle of Man.  Soon another Looney matched the first participant, and both had paper trails to Robert Looney, the immigrant ancestor, though from the lineages of  different sons of Robert Looney.

This project uses Y-Chromosome testing.  Therefore the DNA sample must be provided by a male Looney (or variant spelling), with an unbroken male line.

The Looney DNA Project includes all spellings of the name, including:  Looney, Loony, Luney, Luna, Lewney, Lowney, Lunney, and others.