About us
The surname of Abney is associated with a village of the same name in the Peak of Derbyshire where the family name originated. It appears the Abney surname began in 15th century England. Some sources indicate the Abney surname evolved in spelling from the surname D'Aubigny but the current DNA evidence does not support this as the D'Aubigny lines appear to be R1b in origin rather than the I1a2a path of current Abney/Abner lines.
Based on current test results, it appears that the paternal Abney pedigree falls under the I-A16784 haplogroup. I-A16784 is currently the most refined subclade for Abneys under the I1 haplogroup; I-FT44824 subclade, created in early 2022, is a subclade within the Abney/Abner-specific I-A16784 group which appears to cover a specific American lineage of Abney/Abner.
This project is focused on the paternal Y-DNA lineage of the Abney surname. We also welcome other surnames (Most Abners appear to be related in genealogical times) who may have a paternal connection to the Abney family or those in the I-A16784 (and possibly I-A16783) haplogroup. At a minimum, a Y-DNA37 test is required to allow for proper subgrouping; higher level testing is preferred or Y-DNA37 with I1 - Z58 SNP Pack to eliminate convergence errors. Higher level tests are also beneficial for further refinement of the branches. Those who have not tested to at least the Y-DNA37 level will not be used for data analysis in this project.
Please note that if your paternal haplotype does not fall under the I-M253 branch, your paternal genetic lineage may not come from the modern Abney surname which originated in the UK. Those outside the I-M253 haplotype branch will not be used for data analysis at this time. While not required for this project, those under the I-M253 haplotype, of suspected Abney lineage, may want to consider the FTDNA I1 - Z58 SNP Pack test which should better define actual subclade assignments (at least to I-Y7232); currently, only the Big Y 700 test will provide detailed haplotype assignment to I-A16784. However, additional SNP testing may not yield any additional information if you are related, within the genealogical timeframe, to the I-M253 members of this project as all appear to be from a single subclade.
Kind regards, ABNEY Project Admin Team