Ancestry

Not sure what to do with your DNA results? Learn how to analyze DNA matches and make meaningful progress in your family history research.

Learn how to upload your autosomal DNA from other testing companies to access new matches, tools, and insights in the FamilyTreeDNA database.

Learn how to use autosomal DNA in genealogy by combining DNA matches with traditional research, Y-DNA, and mtDNA to confirm relationships and uncover deeper family connections.

Learn how to interpret your DNA origin results using myOrigins, Chromosome Painter, and ancientOrigins, and understand how populations shape your ancestry.

Learn how DNA matches are identified, how shared DNA is measured in centimorgans, and how to interpret your Family Finder results using key tools and features.

Learn how autosomal DNA testing works, from DNA collection to analysis, and how your results reveal matches and ancestral origins in part two of our seven-part series.

Learn what autosomal DNA is and how it is inherited in part one of our seven-part “Explore Your DNA” series on autosomal DNA.

Andrew Hochreiter shares how DNA testing and genealogy records revealed the deeper story of his German ancestry—from Bavaria to the Mediterranean.

Think Y-DNA testing is just for men? Think again. Women can gain incredible insights into their paternal ancestry by encouraging their fathers, brothers, or uncles to test. Here’s how Y-DNA can help you trace your family line farther than ever before.

Explore the origins, evolution, and meanings of French surnames and “dit” names, and learn how DNA testing helps uncover Acadian and French ancestry.