About us
In 2025 our subgroups were reorganized to reflect which group members appear to share a patrilineal McCormick ancestor, with additional assignments as new results complete.
We started with 20+ subgroups of McCormicks, increasing to almost 30 in 2026. The Big Y-700 test offers the best genetic data, allowing us to identify haplogroups in historic time, bridging the gap from the ancient haplogroups the lower level testing provides. The below insights will be refined or enriched as more group members upgrade to Big Y. Note, subroups are numbers simply for convenience, and in no particular order. A chart of the groups is available here: https://www.familytreedna.com/public/McCormick?iframe=ydna-results-overview A
member's subgroup placement may change as more upgrade, since
placements based on STR (37-111) testing can sometimes be best estimates.
Subgroup 1
Haplogroup: I-Y23144
Haplogroup: I-Y23144
Estimated origin: 1200 AD
Members: 3
Big Y tests: 1
Notable ancestors:
Note: Shares ancestry with a group of men of the surname Agnew.
Members: 3
Big Y tests: 1
Notable ancestors:
Note: Shares ancestry with a group of men of the surname Agnew.
Subgroup 2
Haplogroup: R-FT146981
Estimated origin: 1350 AD
Members: 2
Big Y tests: 1
Notable ancestors:
Note: Shares ancestry with a large Match Time Tree to many other Irish families, with a couple other one-off McCormicks appearing with a shared common ancestor from 200-500 AD (haplogroups R-DF105, R-A260). Although there are numerous other Irish surnames between these McCormicks, and the shared ancestry is prior to the surname era.
Members: 2
Big Y tests: 1
Notable ancestors:
Note: Shares ancestry with a large Match Time Tree to many other Irish families, with a couple other one-off McCormicks appearing with a shared common ancestor from 200-500 AD (haplogroups R-DF105, R-A260). Although there are numerous other Irish surnames between these McCormicks, and the shared ancestry is prior to the surname era.
Subgroup 3 (expected to split)
Haplogroup: R-FT18131
Estimated origin: Undetermined
Members: 6 (4 McCormicks)
Big Y tests: 2 (1 McCormick)
Notable ancestors:
Note: In a similar situation as 2, it ties into a large Match Time Tree with many different surnames of Irish origin, but those McCormicks who have been upgraded to Big Y are distantly related, and cannot be necessarily considered as part of a single subgroup. More members of subgroup 3 must be upgraded to Big Y to determine if this group are closely enough related to truly form the same subgroup.
Members: 6 (4 McCormicks)
Big Y tests: 2 (1 McCormick)
Notable ancestors:
Note: In a similar situation as 2, it ties into a large Match Time Tree with many different surnames of Irish origin, but those McCormicks who have been upgraded to Big Y are distantly related, and cannot be necessarily considered as part of a single subgroup. More members of subgroup 3 must be upgraded to Big Y to determine if this group are closely enough related to truly form the same subgroup.
Subgroup 4 (expected to split)
Haplogroup: R-FGC11397
Estimated origin: 400 AD
Members: 7
Big Y tests: 5
Notable ancestors:
Note: 2 share R-FTJ22779, with their shared ancestor originating around 1566 AD. 3 share R-FT58241, with their ancestor originating in about 1450 AD. STR testing suggested they were part of the same family, but their actual shared ancestry is at haplogroup R-FGC11397, suggesting shared ancestry at 400 AD prior to the origin of surnames. Whether the group should be split into two different subgroups would be a matter of personal preference, and to place each member accurately each remaining member of the subgroup would need to be upgraded to Big Y-700.
Members: 7
Big Y tests: 5
Notable ancestors:
Note: 2 share R-FTJ22779, with their shared ancestor originating around 1566 AD. 3 share R-FT58241, with their ancestor originating in about 1450 AD. STR testing suggested they were part of the same family, but their actual shared ancestry is at haplogroup R-FGC11397, suggesting shared ancestry at 400 AD prior to the origin of surnames. Whether the group should be split into two different subgroups would be a matter of personal preference, and to place each member accurately each remaining member of the subgroup would need to be upgraded to Big Y-700.
Subgroup 5
Haplogroup: R-FTA96557
Estimated origin: 1216 AD
Members: 17 (14 McCormick)
Big Y tests: 5
Notable ancestors:
Note: This is the best example so far (as compared to subgroups 1-4) of how Big Y testing can show specific branching of McCormick lines. 2 share R-BY32424. 2 share R-FTG70645. One has only refined to R-FTA96557. BY32424 represents a shared ancestor around 1579 AD, and this group shares an ancestor with FTG70645 around 1461 AD, with both sharing an ancestor with R-FTA96557 the forefather of all 3 haplogroups, estimated to live around 1216 AD. With STR testing alone (37-111) the testers would not know how they interrelate to one another, or that 4 of them share an ancestor around 1461, but relate to another group member only with an ancestor from about 1216 AD for instance.
Members: 17 (14 McCormick)
Big Y tests: 5
Notable ancestors:
Note: This is the best example so far (as compared to subgroups 1-4) of how Big Y testing can show specific branching of McCormick lines. 2 share R-BY32424. 2 share R-FTG70645. One has only refined to R-FTA96557. BY32424 represents a shared ancestor around 1579 AD, and this group shares an ancestor with FTG70645 around 1461 AD, with both sharing an ancestor with R-FTA96557 the forefather of all 3 haplogroups, estimated to live around 1216 AD. With STR testing alone (37-111) the testers would not know how they interrelate to one another, or that 4 of them share an ancestor around 1461, but relate to another group member only with an ancestor from about 1216 AD for instance.
Subgroup 6
Haplogroup: R-BY53536
Estimated origin: Undetermined
Members: 2
Big Y tests: 1
Notable ancestors:
Note: Not enough members for useful analysis.
Members: 2
Big Y tests: 1
Notable ancestors:
Note: Not enough members for useful analysis.
Subgroup 7
Haplogroup: R-FT42402
Estimated origin: 1600 AD
Members: 7 (5 McCormick)
Big Y tests: 2
Notable ancestors:
Note: Family Finder tests allow a medium resolution haplogroup placement, better than Y-37 and less specific than Big Y. 4 of the subgroup members have been placed in R-FGC5939 using such testing (500 AD common ancestor). The two who tested to Big Y match on R-FT42402 with a common ancestor around 1623 AD. Those match at R-FT42402 (1600 AD). As explained in the group 5 example, further Big Y testing would allow nesting of the various lines to show when the common ancestor of each two testers occurred.
Members: 7 (5 McCormick)
Big Y tests: 2
Notable ancestors:
Note: Family Finder tests allow a medium resolution haplogroup placement, better than Y-37 and less specific than Big Y. 4 of the subgroup members have been placed in R-FGC5939 using such testing (500 AD common ancestor). The two who tested to Big Y match on R-FT42402 with a common ancestor around 1623 AD. Those match at R-FT42402 (1600 AD). As explained in the group 5 example, further Big Y testing would allow nesting of the various lines to show when the common ancestor of each two testers occurred.
Subgroup 8
Haplogroup: R-FGC29030
Estimated origin: 1150 AD
Members: 20 (18 McCormicks)
Big Y tests: 16
Notable ancestors:
Note: As my own ancestral subgroup, I understand it a little more than other groups. I started with recruiting to upgrade everyone I could in this group to Big Y before we started rolling out similar promotions to our whole surname group. The group shares haplogroup R-FGC29030 with a common ancestor around 1150 AD. Most group members share haplogroup R-FGC57716, estimated to have originated around 1707 AD. A few group members were preexisting FamilyTreeDNA customers. A few were people I randomly recruited during promotions and ended up being part of my group. A few are myself and close relatives. A few are of a branch I recruited to test starting with a visit to my Irish ancestral homeland in 2024, based on the hypothesis we might be related having the same place of origin. All of the group members except for my few close relatives are people I would have never known were cousins without Y-DNA. In a few cases I might have had clues from autosomal DNA, or similar origins, but the paper trail could not prove we had a shared forefather like the Y-DNA did. This is why I am passionate about recruiting all McCormicks to be tested I guess. I want people to find the same benefit of more broadly understanding their deep ancestry and that they may have cousins they would have not otherwise discovered. I think it offers a bit of fun, and connection to people as well as to history.
Members: 20 (18 McCormicks)
Big Y tests: 16
Notable ancestors:
Note: As my own ancestral subgroup, I understand it a little more than other groups. I started with recruiting to upgrade everyone I could in this group to Big Y before we started rolling out similar promotions to our whole surname group. The group shares haplogroup R-FGC29030 with a common ancestor around 1150 AD. Most group members share haplogroup R-FGC57716, estimated to have originated around 1707 AD. A few group members were preexisting FamilyTreeDNA customers. A few were people I randomly recruited during promotions and ended up being part of my group. A few are myself and close relatives. A few are of a branch I recruited to test starting with a visit to my Irish ancestral homeland in 2024, based on the hypothesis we might be related having the same place of origin. All of the group members except for my few close relatives are people I would have never known were cousins without Y-DNA. In a few cases I might have had clues from autosomal DNA, or similar origins, but the paper trail could not prove we had a shared forefather like the Y-DNA did. This is why I am passionate about recruiting all McCormicks to be tested I guess. I want people to find the same benefit of more broadly understanding their deep ancestry and that they may have cousins they would have not otherwise discovered. I think it offers a bit of fun, and connection to people as well as to history.
Subgroup 9
Haplogroup: R-BY104995
Estimated origin: 1800 AD
Members: 3
Big Y tests: 2
Notable ancestors:
Note: The two Big Y testers match around 1800, but until the third tester is upgraded the shared origin of this group remains unclear.
Members: 3
Big Y tests: 2
Notable ancestors:
Note: The two Big Y testers match around 1800, but until the third tester is upgraded the shared origin of this group remains unclear.
I'll stop there for now, and provide more updates on remaining subgroups in the future, with potential updates as more results come in.
There is long term potential to understand more accurately when and where each group originated, and even highlight notable persons in each family. This will rely on much broader testing and well-sourced family tree research being submitted from the group members.