About us
As of February 9, 2023
There are currently 49 test results in this project: 6 BigY, 11 yDNA-111; 41 yDNA-67; 43 yDNA-37, and 47 yDNA-12
Of all the writings available on the origin of the surnames of Roddy-Ruddy, that of famed author of “Irish Families” and “More Irish Families,” Edward MacLysaght, is probably the most accurate, complete, and concise treatment. Having said that, MacLysaght did not have access to yDNA and this study may challenge his conclusions.
"11-13 Combo"
Roddy and Ruddy individuals who have the marker combination of DYF406s1 = 11 and DYS617 = 13.
The so-called "11-13 Combo" classification overlaps almost completely with the L-513 SNP. All those who have the "11-13 Combo" at these markers descend from a single paternal ancestor who lived according to the best estimate around 2,500 years ago (ie, about 500 years before Christ).
There is a very large "11-13 Combo"/L-513 project group on FamilyTreeDNA, as well as a Yahoo Group. Roddy and Ruddy individuals in our surname project can be found in sub-group D-2... click link and scroll down to see it. We share a common paternal ancestor with all members of the "11-13 Combo"/L-513 project group, and the same applies to the D-2 sub-group. Those in D-2, however, share a paternal ancestor not as far back in time. No one knows how far back, but this male probably lived 1,000 to 2,000 years.
Since the onset of this surname project, a couple of individuals have completed full genome testing ("BigY") and their results have revealed a possible further refinement in R-L513 to CTS3087, and even further to BY390. This is only based on two Roddy individuals with ancestry in the County Down, Northern Ireland region, however, and more testing is needed with other Roddy and Ruddy men.
More information on these projects can be found here:
FamillyTreeDNA R-L513 and Subclades Project at https://www.familytreedna.com/public/R-L513?iframe=ycolorized
(WARNING: The above link takes you to a large data page which is slow to download, so be patient if your browser stops responding for a few minutes, depending on your connection speed)
R1b-L513-Project Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/R1b-L513-Project/
R1b-L513 Descendent Tree Chart located http://tinyurl.com/R1b-L513-Tree-Chart
"Non 11-13 Combo"
Roddys and Ruddys Who Do NOT have the marker combination of DYF406S1 =11 and marker DYS617 = 13.
Roddy and Ruddy individuals in the "11-13 Combo" subgroup and those in the "Non 11-13 Combo" are not related to each other in recorded history. The Most Recent Common Ancestor between the two groups lived at least 2,500 year ago. Individual members in the two groups have Most Recent Common Ancestors that may have lived much further in the past (best estimate 3,000 to 5,000 years ago).
Niall of the Nine Hostages
The Y DNA signatures of a number of Roddy and Ruddy individuals in our project indicate they are descendents of "Niall of the Nine Hostages," a 5th century Irish warlord and chieftain known for raiding the coasts of Britain and France to plunder and take hostages. For more on Niall click on links:
FTDNA post
http://www.familytreedna.com/landing/matching-niall.aspx
Wikipedia post
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_of_the_Nine_Hostages
There have also been a handful of apparently related surnames that keep popping up as close genetic matches, the connections of which are still to be determined These surnames (as well as spelling variations of them) include Anglin, Spain, Devine
There are currently 49 test results in this project: 6 BigY, 11 yDNA-111; 41 yDNA-67; 43 yDNA-37, and 47 yDNA-12
We currently have 49 members from Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with five main subgroups of related families:
Group A: "11-13 Combo" - In this group, all Roddy and Ruddy individuals have the unique yDNA genetic marker combination of 11 at DYF406s1 and 13 at DYS617. Most of this group seem to be related to Roddys and Ruddys who have ancestors from the east coast of present-day Northern Ireland, often from the greater Newry, County Down area.
With only one exception at this point, all the other groups of Roddy and Ruddy men have a 10-12 Combo with 10 at DYF406s1 and 12 at DYS617. Because they are not all showing up as matches to eachother, I have sorted them in the following four sub-groups:
Group B: Most of this group seem to be related to Roddys and Ruddys who have ancestors from either County Louth and the greater Dundalk area in north-west Ireland, or Counties Leitrim and Roscommon from north-central Ireland towards the west. The current theory is that this branch are descendants of coarbs of St. Cullen of Fenagh.
Group C: "Niall of the Nine Hostages" - The majority of this group seem to originate in the west coast of Ireland, including Counties Galway and Mayo.
"There is a townland called Tir Roddy in the parish of Taughboyne, Co. Donegal, named from a family of O’Roddy who were erenaghs there. Canon Maguire in his book Diocese of Raphoe describes them as leading a sept of the Uí Bhreasail branch of Muintir banna (son of Niall of the Nine Hostages). If that is correct they are distinct from the Leitrim O’Roddys: from them, no doubt, stem the Roddy and Ruddy families now located in Donegal and other parts of Ulster. The only O’Roddy in the Jacobite attainders hailed from nearby Co. Tyrone."
Group D: Donegal - These members typically originate to the north in County Donegal, often from the greater Derry/Londonderry region.
Group E: Tennessee USA - The most prominent Roddy branch in the USA derives from James Joseph Roddye, Sr. (1680-1734), of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. He was one of the earliest recorded Roddy or Ruddys in what is now the USA. His descendants served in the Revolutionary War, and were later awarded a tract of land on the west of North Carolina, whose boundaries at the time extended west over the Appilacian mountains towards the Mississippi. When Tennessee was made a state, this branch of Roddys found themselves on the new state's eastern border, near North Carolina.
Group F: South Carolina USA - This branch is most likely related to the above "Tennessee Roddys," but to date no clear connection has been discovered.
Group G is a placeholder for ungrouped individuals. Usually this is due to a Non-Paternal Event (NPE) where a son is born to, or adopted by, a Roddy or Ruddy, carrying that surname, but actually fathered by some other man.
"11-13 Combo"
Roddy and Ruddy individuals who have the marker combination of DYF406s1 = 11 and DYS617 = 13.
The so-called "11-13 Combo" classification overlaps almost completely with the L-513 SNP. All those who have the "11-13 Combo" at these markers descend from a single paternal ancestor who lived according to the best estimate around 2,500 years ago (ie, about 500 years before Christ).
There is a very large "11-13 Combo"/L-513 project group on FamilyTreeDNA, as well as a Yahoo Group. Roddy and Ruddy individuals in our surname project can be found in sub-group D-2... click link and scroll down to see it. We share a common paternal ancestor with all members of the "11-13 Combo"/L-513 project group, and the same applies to the D-2 sub-group. Those in D-2, however, share a paternal ancestor not as far back in time. No one knows how far back, but this male probably lived 1,000 to 2,000 years.
Since the onset of this surname project, a couple of individuals have completed full genome testing ("BigY") and their results have revealed a possible further refinement in R-L513 to CTS3087, and even further to BY390. This is only based on two Roddy individuals with ancestry in the County Down, Northern Ireland region, however, and more testing is needed with other Roddy and Ruddy men.
More information on these projects can be found here:
FamillyTreeDNA R-L513 and Subclades Project at https://www.familytreedna.com/public/R-L513?iframe=ycolorized
(WARNING: The above link takes you to a large data page which is slow to download, so be patient if your browser stops responding for a few minutes, depending on your connection speed)
R1b-L513-Project Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/R1b-L513-Project/
R1b-L513 Descendent Tree Chart located http://tinyurl.com/R1b-L513-Tree-Chart
"Non 11-13 Combo"
Roddys and Ruddys Who Do NOT have the marker combination of DYF406S1 =11 and marker DYS617 = 13.
Roddy and Ruddy individuals in the "11-13 Combo" subgroup and those in the "Non 11-13 Combo" are not related to each other in recorded history. The Most Recent Common Ancestor between the two groups lived at least 2,500 year ago. Individual members in the two groups have Most Recent Common Ancestors that may have lived much further in the past (best estimate 3,000 to 5,000 years ago).
Niall of the Nine Hostages
The Y DNA signatures of a number of Roddy and Ruddy individuals in our project indicate they are descendents of "Niall of the Nine Hostages," a 5th century Irish warlord and chieftain known for raiding the coasts of Britain and France to plunder and take hostages. For more on Niall click on links:
FTDNA post
http://www.familytreedna.com/landing/matching-niall.aspx
Wikipedia post
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_of_the_Nine_Hostages
There have also been a handful of apparently related surnames that keep popping up as close genetic matches, the connections of which are still to be determined These surnames (as well as spelling variations of them) include Anglin, Spain, Devine