About us
The variant Pool and Poole is found in some Pettypool branches, and came about in the 1800s. If you have any suspicion that your ancestor was a Pettypool, we encourage you to join our project.
The surname Pettypool arose from a single Medieval family living in Essex, England. The name appears to have "daughtered out" in England by the early 17th century. Apparently, only a single male, William, lived into the mid 17th century, and he immigrated to Virginia, USA in the mid 1650's from London. His son, also William, fathered two sons and from them all the known Pettypools in the world today appear to have sprung. In America from the late 17th century through the late 18th century, most lines of the family continued to be known either by Pettypool or Pettipool (the most common variant). After the Revolutionary War and the opening of the western and southern frontiers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many branches of the family that left Virginia for points west and south started to use or at least be identified by an abbreviated form of the name, i.e. P.Pool. One branch of the family adopted the form P'Pool. It is not clear how or why these changes arose. Perhaps the widespread use of abbreviated forms by legal clerks was adopted by the families themselves. Finally, in the mid to latter part of the 19th century, many branches only inconsistently used the P.Pool and P'Pool forms and the name became assimilated in some branches to the more common surname, Pool or Poole. Currently, Pettypool, P.Pool and P'Pool are the most commonly found variants among those who have not gone to Pool or Poole. There may also be a few who use the Pettipool spelling although they would be much rarer.
How to Research Your Pettypool Ancestry Using DNA
If you are male, or a female with access to a male relative’s DNA, you can select a 37 marker Y DNA test at Family Tree DNA(FTDNA). This test is relatively inexpensive but sufficiently precise to determine if you are likely positive for known Pettypool DNA Short Tandem Repeat (STR) patterns, or not. You can find an explanation of STR tests at the FTDNA website Learning Center. When you receive the results of your test,FTDNA will notify members of the Pettypool project that your result matches theirs, and one of the administrators will contact you with an invitation to join the Pettypool project.
The 37 marker STR test is an inexpensive basic test to verify potential Pettypool ancestry. However, much more extensive tests are available that will moreprecisely place you in the Pettypool family tree. The project administrators or other members can help you select any additional tests. In addition, you will have access to other project members, with the possibility that you can learn more about your family or help other members with your knowledge. There is a private discussion group on Facebook which has valuable discussion about Pettypoolfamily DNA. An administrator will issue you an invitation to join the Facebook group when you join the FTDNA project.
What if I Don’t have Male DNA?
The Pettypool Project was begun as a Y DNA project, and that is still the primary focus. But we have members who are descended from female Pettypools, and some of them have Maternal Lineage mtDNA results to share. You can find out more about this DNA test at the FTDNA’s website Learning Center.
And almost all members have also done a Family Finder testor have transferred the equivalent test from Ancestry.com or other DNA test organization. Working with other Project member’s FF results can advance your research without a Y chromosome test result. You can find out more about Family Finder testing at FTDNA’s Learning Center.
The Paper Trail
The ultimate purpose of the Pettypool Project is to verify, correct, and expand the genealogy of the Pettypool family. The most current record of the family’s history as derived from historical records is at the Pettypool Family One-Name Study website. We are a member of the world-wide surname research organization the Guild of One-Name Studies as well.
The Big Picture- the Human Family Tree
If you have a Pettypool Y chromosome result, then you should consider joining these two DNA projects as well: RSRY2627/Z198/L176 and R DF27and Subclades. These projects are researching the ancient relationship of Pettypools with many other surname groups.