Surnames

Wallace, Wallas, Walles, Wallis, Wollace 

Background

In 2002 the first DNA test was performed on a Wallis descendant.  Today, the Wallace DNA Project has nearly 400 members. Of these, more than 200 carry a Wallace surname or a close variant.  Nearly 230 are males who have done Y-DNA testing.  Over 200 have done Family Finder testing.  More than one-third of the men have done both Y-DNA and Family Finder testing.  Many, men and women, have added mitochondrial DNA testing. A very few have done only mitochondrial DNA testing.

If you descend from any Wallace or Wallis lineage or identify a match to an individual in the Wallace DNA Project, participating in the project is encouraged. 

It is easy to start.   Call Family Tree DNA at the number 713.868-1438, follow the menus, tell the counselor that you want to join the Wallace DNA Project and order the test you want.  Joining the project at the time of your initial order assures you get the lowest possible price. Alternatively, do not hesitate to contact an administrator of the Wallace DNA Project.

Most males begin testing with the Y-DNA test, a test for the male ancestral lineage.  The Y-DNA37 test is the most common Y-DNA test with which to begin.  It tests 37 locations on the Y-DNA chromosome. This number is usually enough for getting reliable initial matching.    

Women joining the project nearly always begin with the Family Finder test. Men may sometimes begin with this test but more often add it as a second test.  The Family Finder test identifies descendants on both the male and female sides of the family. It has excellent reliability going back several generations but because the strength of any ancestor's DNA decreases by one half in each generation, its reliability decreases in each generation. 

A final common test identifies an individual’s female lineage.  This is the mitochondrial DNA test.