Overview:

            The Varner Surname Project pertains to the direct male-to-male genetic paternal lines of males with the surnames Varner, Verner, Vernon, Werner, Warner, or similar names e.g. Varnes, Varney, Varnon, Verney, or Vernor. The project will also accept males with different surnames who have genealogy evidence suggesting that they have a direct male-to-male descent from a male with one of the above surnames. Females may not be members of the project, because they do not have the required male Y Chromosome, but they may act as the go-between for correspondence for a male who is an appropriate candidate, e.g. a father, brother, uncle, or cousin. Anyone may act as the go-between for correspondence if the member permits. See the further guidance below.

            Membership requires a Y-DNA test, basic information about the member's earliest proven direct male Varner (or variant) forebear, and approval by the project administrator. Y-DNA test results from another company can usually be transferred to Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) for a fee. Other types of dna tests, e.g. autosomal dna and mitochondrial dna, will not work for surname projects.

            A request for membership should be submitted using the form on the FTDNA website. The project administrator will reply to the request and provide further guidance. If an applicant has not already ordered a Y-DNA test, it is recommended that the project administrator be consulted first in order to assure that an appropriate test is ordered. The request form has a space that is labelled "Your Name". Enter the name of the member to be tested, not the name of a go-between. If possible, provide a middle name or middle initial to distinguish the member from others who might have a similar name. Please do not use all capital letters. Capitalize only the first letter of each name. Do not include a title, e.g. "Mr.". Titles are unnecessary since only males can be members. The email address should be the address of the person who will be the primary correspondent for the member. If the member is representing himself, the email address will be his. If someone is acting as his go-between, the email address will be that of the go-between. For example, suppose that a female is the family genealogist and that she has permission from her brother to act as his go-between in the project. The request will use his name and her email address. Other email addresses can be added after the member is accepted, but the primary email address will be that of the primary correspondent. In the information section, provide basic information about the earliest proven male Varner (or variant) forebear of your line to include:  name; pertinent dates, e.g. birth, death, immigration, etc.; and the country of origin, if known. If you are a go-between, tell us your name and relationship to the member.

Background:

            The Varner Surname Project was begun in 2003 by genealogists who had been comparing research for years. Those early members were all named Varner, but they descend from ancestors who emigrated from more than one country and who had names other than Varner. It was often hard to prove connections and family origins using genealogy research alone, and the project helped some members to prove family connections. Within a year, the project also had members named Verner, Vernon, Warner, and Werner, several of whom were related to men with different surnames. Now there are members with other surnames, including Varney and Vernor.

            The surname Varner is mostly an American phonetic variation of names like Verner, Warner, and Werner, and it was rare in other countries prior to the modern era. In the early-1700s there were emigrants from the north of Ireland (now Northern Ireland) named Verner (or Vernor) and emigrants from Germany named Warner and Werner. Because the German letter "W" is pronounced like the English letter "V", the names Warner and Werner often were recorded by American clerks as Varner and Verner. Foreign and regional accents undoubtedly contributed to phonetic variations. One can only imagine how Scots-Irish and German accents sounded to English clerks 300 years ago. Many descendants of those families eventually adopted phonetic spellings. Adding to that confusion was the custom that younger sons sometimes changed the surname spelling to distinguish their lines from that of their eldest brother who had the customary right to use the spelling of their father. Thus, descendants of the same immigrant might use several different spellings. It also appears that descendants who remained in the northeast colonies and on the east coast tended to retain the original spelling, whereas those who migrated southward and westward were more likely to adopt phonetic spellings. Members of different families sometimes lived in the same area using the same surname, adding to the confusion and frustration of genealogists. For example, there were places where descendants of a Scots-Irish Verner (or Vernor) and descendants of a German Werner lived near each other and used the surname Varner. The dna project has helped to clarify some of those situations.