About us
The Waldensian Families DNA Project has been created to learn more about the origins and family relationships of people with Waldensian ancestry. Since it is a Y-Chromosome project, all men with Waldensian paternal ancestry are eligible to join. Women with Waldensian maternal line ancestry are also welcome to join with an MTDNA kit result as well.
Since most Waldensians lived in near isolation for 700 years in the Waldensian Valleys of the Piedmont Region of northwestern Italy, it is expected that many families will be closely related. The DNA project will enable Waldensian descendants to determine if they are related to other Waldensian families with similar surnames and compound names. DNA testing will also enable Waldensian descendants to determine if they are related to families with different surnames since DNA will detect family relationships prior to the general usage of heritable surnames in the 15th century.
Although Waldensians are usually associated with the Piedmont region of Italy, they have also lived in communities spread throughout Italy, France and the neighboring European countries. Due to persecution, many Waldensians were driven out of Italy and settled in Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, and other surrounding countries. Many returned to the Waldensian Valleys but some remained in their adopted countries. Beginning in the 19th century, some left the Valleys to find new opportunities in the United States and South America. Today, Waldensian descendants are spread throughout the World.
Many historians believe the Waldensian movement began in Lyons, France in the 12th century but there are other theories of earlier origins. It is hoped that the DNA project will shed some light on the historical origins of the Waldensians.
It is important to note that this project is focused on the use of Y-Chromosome testing which means that it will only be useful for men whose paternal ancestors (father's, father's, father's, . . . ancestors) are suspected of being Waldensian. To see a list of some surnames that are known to be Waldensian, please go to the following link:
www.waldensian.info/research-documents/WaldensianNames-3ColumnWithText.pdf. Also please view the link for Osvaldo Coisson's book: Nomi di Famiglia delle Valli Valdesi (Torre Pellice, 1976) https://homepages.rootsweb.com/~waldense/surnames.htm
If you are interested in learning how to find your Waldensian ancestors using traditional genealogical techniques, please go the following website:
www.Waldensian.info.
We recommend ordering the Y-DNA67 test. If you have any questions about the project, please contact Lillian Jacumin Modak at ljacuminmodak@gmail.com or Dale Cardon Alsop, the Project Administrators, at dalsop@pacbell.net.
Since most Waldensians lived in near isolation for 700 years in the Waldensian Valleys of the Piedmont Region of northwestern Italy, it is expected that many families will be closely related. The DNA project will enable Waldensian descendants to determine if they are related to other Waldensian families with similar surnames and compound names. DNA testing will also enable Waldensian descendants to determine if they are related to families with different surnames since DNA will detect family relationships prior to the general usage of heritable surnames in the 15th century.
Although Waldensians are usually associated with the Piedmont region of Italy, they have also lived in communities spread throughout Italy, France and the neighboring European countries. Due to persecution, many Waldensians were driven out of Italy and settled in Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, and other surrounding countries. Many returned to the Waldensian Valleys but some remained in their adopted countries. Beginning in the 19th century, some left the Valleys to find new opportunities in the United States and South America. Today, Waldensian descendants are spread throughout the World.
Many historians believe the Waldensian movement began in Lyons, France in the 12th century but there are other theories of earlier origins. It is hoped that the DNA project will shed some light on the historical origins of the Waldensians.
It is important to note that this project is focused on the use of Y-Chromosome testing which means that it will only be useful for men whose paternal ancestors (father's, father's, father's, . . . ancestors) are suspected of being Waldensian. To see a list of some surnames that are known to be Waldensian, please go to the following link:
www.waldensian.info/research-documents/WaldensianNames-3ColumnWithText.pdf. Also please view the link for Osvaldo Coisson's book: Nomi di Famiglia delle Valli Valdesi (Torre Pellice, 1976) https://homepages.rootsweb.com/~waldense/surnames.htm
If you are interested in learning how to find your Waldensian ancestors using traditional genealogical techniques, please go the following website:
www.Waldensian.info.
We recommend ordering the Y-DNA67 test. If you have any questions about the project, please contact Lillian Jacumin Modak at ljacuminmodak@gmail.com or Dale Cardon Alsop, the Project Administrators, at dalsop@pacbell.net.