Feb 2025 Update

The Group General Fund feature of this project has been enabled in response to a request for a way to help fund testing for those who cannot totally afford it themselves, and to promote greater participation in the project. Stay tuned for additional details about how this works.

January 2025 Update

Newly identified Whitehurst Y-DNA haplogroup I-FTG28211 is estimated to have branched off from its parent, I-FT126428, around 1750 CE.  More details as well as up-to-date information can be found in the FamilyTreeDNA Discover™ Report at https://discover.familytreedna.com/y-dna/I-FTG28211/story.

May 2018 update

BigY testing has so far seems to suggests that the Whitehurt's who have tested so far belong to a rare branch of the Z60 called A9289 that there share with a man with the surname Turner. Their common ancestor seems to have lived well over 1,000 years ago so it's not been much help yet in understanding Whitehurst origins in the medieval period. More new matches and BigY testing in future years may improve on this situation. The project started in Feb 2013 and we now have 20 members. I am taking the opportunity step down as admin in May 2018 and thank everyone for their interest and support over the last 5 years. I hope to continue as a regular member.

March 2015 Update

The project has converted over to FTDNA's new look and feel. All male Whitehurst's who have so far joined the project appear to share a common Whitehurst ancestor perhaps in the period between 1200-1500. Testing has been taking place over the last 18 months to try and establish the group that these males belonged to just prior to the formation of surnames. So far we have been unsuccessful. The group appear to be part of the Z60 clade that descended from the I1 Haplogroup.  Z60 is though to have arisen between 4,000-5,000 years ago.

December 2013 Update

The Z2539 test we ordered in the summer was negative. We then ordered a Z140 test which was also negative. We are awaiting further developments before testing further SNP’s.

The project has 5 direct male line members who all appear to be genetically related based on the results so far. In addition they also match a further Whitehurst contact that has tested with another testing company.

The project has 4 additional members who are descended from the Whitehurst through female lines who have used the Family Finder test to establish their genetic relatedness to people who have taken the YDNA test.

There are lot of existing DNA developments coming in 2014 that should enable us to make more concrete predictions of how Whitehursts relate to each other even where they have gaps in their paper genealogies.

July 2013 Update

We now have 7 members. Some results are pending. The Z60 test was positive. We are now testing for Z2539.  

June 2013 Update

We now have 4 direct line members. So far all four are genetically related. We have now received the results of the Z59 test which is positive. We are now testing for Z60.

May 2013 Update

We now have 5 family members in the project. Three of these are direct male line Whitehursts who have taken the YDNA test. The DNA results show all three are related. Our first SNP test is in and is Z58+ within the I1 Haplotype. We are now testing Z59.

February 2013 Update 2:

I am aware of 3 Whitehurst descendants who have DNA tested. They all share the I1 M253 Haplotype. I1 is estimated to be 4000 to 5000 years old.

February 2013 Update 1:

The Whitehurst surname project submission has been approved. The first participant has joined. Initial testing indicates a Whitehurst in the UK and a Whitehurst from the USA share an as yet unknown common Whitehurst ancestor.