DNA testing can often aid genealogists researching paternal lines

Father’s Day is a good time to reflect on our paternal ancestors.

I have used DNA testing to try to verify the information my records research and family stories have produced. Sometimes, DNA is the only way to break through a brick wall in your research. DNA can yield results that differ from your paper trail.

The Y-DNA test, for the male direct line, is offered only at FamilyTreeDNA.com, long the forerunner in DNA testing. Test results can produce interesting results. Hopefully, the man you are testing matches others with his surname or some variation thereof. Many names have gone through spelling adjustments over time, being shortened or even divided. Some surnames have been translated from one language to another, such as Zimmerman to Carpenter. Still others might reflect a non-paternity event — an ancestor might have taken his mother’s maiden name, but the Y-DNA test matches other men who can be traced to the birth father’s surname. My family’s story, that my great-grandfather was named Humphries, was verified by the test, as I now match eight men with that surname. Men in my family surnamed Hudson, Pickard and Wynn have all matched men in those lines, and in some cases have prompted us to further research. My Christenberry line out of Charlotte, North Carolina, matched Quisenberrys, confirming this was an earlier or the early spelling of the name. If you are going to sponsor a Y-DNA male test, you should have your goals in mind.