About us
17 November 2022 - the Moore-Worldwide Y DNA Project was merged into the Moore Y DNA Project. The result of this merger left a "shell" of a project in Moore-Worldwide, along with all of the members of the former Group 2 of Moore-Worldwide. This, therefore, became the nucleus of a new project... Moore-Worldwide being renamed the BY3364 and Subclades Y DNA Project. The goal of this project are, as the name implies, to focus on all Y kits which fall under BY3364. This also happens to include a significant number of Moore and Muir Y DNA test-takers, along with several Y-related lines with different surnames. Given the overwhelming number of Moore/Muir subclades, and the locality being pinpointed by so many lines (to Ayrshire and surrounding areas of SW Scotland), it was established that the subtitle of the project would include that this is also the "Clan" Muir and Y-related surnames project.
Primary sources from as early as the 16th and 17th centuries show no indication of the Muir family identifying itself as a clan, or associating as a sept of another clan. Instead, it may be that one of the branches of the Muir lines began using the title "clan" in the early 19th century, following a surge of nationalism brought on by the writings of Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) and the visit of King George IV, in the early 1820s. "The effect of the event (King George IV's visit)... was an increase in new-found Scottish national identity, unifying Highlander and Lowlander in sharing the iconic symbolism of kilts and tartans". It is that which has left us, even today, with the "concept" of a "Clan" Muir. In identifying the Y DNA haplotree of the line (BY3364 and Subclades), we have evidence in a legitimate connection to the earliest documented Mure/Muir lines of 12th century Ayrshire (when surname use slowly started, increasing over the centuries to follow).
Per current estimates by FTDNA, BY3364 emerged ca. 450 CE, and BY3374 emerged ca. 950 CE. Subsequently, BY3386's sole subclade, BY3374, emerged ca. 1150 CE, which happens to be when surnames also began to be used in SW Scotland. Of the thirteen currently known subclades of BY3374, all but three include Muir or Moore test-takers. The other three are so far identified solely to Harsha/Harshaw, Walker, and Pringle.
Other significant emerging surnames very likely identifiable to the period while still in the area of Ayrshire include (and appear to be NPE), Alexander/McAlexander, Montgomery, Young, Blackwood/Blackwell, McMuldroch, Sloss, Hamilton, Pollock/Pollok, Herron, and Kirkpatrick.
Additionally, there are a number of surnames (likely or proven to be NPE Muir/Moore) which may have emerged later (possibly the 17th century or later... some have been clearly identified as late as the 19th century) including Agar, Arnold, Asman, Bailor, Barton, Bonar, Brown, Carson, Chesser, Cretney, Deen, Donica/Donakey, Epperson, Erickson, George, Herron, Holcomb, Hook, Mault/Mott, McNeill, Mehuron, Meldrum, Miller, O'Brien, Rogers, Savage, Sutton, Vincent, and others.