About us
Bowes, Bowe, Related and Similar Surnames DNA Project
Sections below include:
About the Surnames
Notice of Non-Affiliation with Irish Origenes, Scottish Origenes and English Origenes
About the Surnames
This surname project started studying just the Bowes and Bowe names which are known to be related in some areas. Over years of research, it became apparent that we had encountered a complex web of surnames that claim or have claimed the same variants because they share:
- linguistic roots, and/or
- phonological characteristics, and/or
- documentary/historic associations
We see these overlaps in England, Scotland and Ireland as well as in continental Germanic and Scandinavian regions. Consequently, many surname history references sometimes appear to randomly link some of these spellings as 'variants' under the same surname without providing any evidence to justify the assertion.
Y chromosome DNA provides a great tool for establishing which of these surname spellings are in fact related since the time surnames began. A glance at the Name column in our results clearly shows this process at work, although in some cases, as noted, we need additional SNP testing to confirm relatedness between variants that are provisionally grouped together. As we test more and more men who go by as many of these surnames as possible, we'll further establish which spellings are true variants of one another in surviving families. That will help participants to know what spellings to focus on in their documentary research. See this work in progress that helps illustrate the confusion among these names.
A characteristic shared by many of these names is that they are uncommon to rare (a few probably even extinct!). This means:
If you know a man whose surname matches our list, please encourage him to participate and help us establish the DNA patterns among these interesting names!
Y chromosome DNA provides a great tool for establishing which of these surname spellings are in fact related since the time surnames began. A glance at the Name column in our results clearly shows this process at work, although in some cases, as noted, we need additional SNP testing to confirm relatedness between variants that are provisionally grouped together. As we test more and more men who go by as many of these surnames as possible, we'll further establish which spellings are true variants of one another in surviving families. That will help participants to know what spellings to focus on in their documentary research. See this work in progress that helps illustrate the confusion among these names.
A characteristic shared by many of these names is that they are uncommon to rare (a few probably even extinct!). This means:
- Most of these names don't have their own surname DNA project,
- Some of these names may be dying out, so time is short to capture their Y DNA and family history. If you know any eligible males please send them our way!
If you know a man whose surname matches our list, please encourage him to participate and help us establish the DNA patterns among these interesting names!
Notice of Non-Affiliation with Irish Origenes, Scottish Origenes, English Origenes
Dr. Tyrone Bowes is not involved with administration of the Bowes One-Name Study or this DNA Project. We regretfully must point this out here due to the unscientific nature of the surname DNA analyses he conducts for pay through his business, variously called Irish Origenes, English Origenes and Scottish Origenes. There are numerous public critiques of his work by experts in DNA analysis, surname mapping and history. Population geneticists with University College London have included it on their public page calling out companies that misuse DNA results. (See Dubious commercial claims.)
Copyright © Martha Bowes 2004-Present, All Rights Reserved.