These surnames were taken by Jewish men in Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Byelorussia, etc.) around 1800, when surnames became legally required. The name meant woodworker or carpenter. Most likely, several unrelated men took these names. Two men with these names who know of no common ancestor may or may not be related.

This project will provide genetic evidence that should prove that some living Teslers/Tesslers/Teszlers are unrelated, and will identify people who may be related but had no way to know before. If a 12-marker test reveals a match, the matched men can request a 25- or 37-marker test to get a more accurate estimate of the recency of a common ancestor.