There was a time when I browsed the Family Tree DNA website frequently to look for new Y-DNA matches. More recently, that hasn’t seemed like a good use of my time.
Here’s what I found on a recent visit.
I have 6,301 Y-DNA matches of all types. FTDNA reports 30 for 25 markers, 16 for 37, 15 for 67 and 5 for 111 markers. The bar chart shows the year the 12-marker match was tested, most between 2015 and 2018. 2022 is to 10 September. They still trickle in but Y-DNA tests are now less popular.
Of the 6,301 matches, 23 have the last name Reid; 25 names have more 12 marker matches than Reid. Some are common names like Smith and Brown, others are likely ones where multiple testing was done to resolve an issue or within a DNA surname project.
I only have 25 marker matches for five surnames, Eaton, Elliott, Moore, Reid and Wilson, and only one match each for those except Reid.
My Reid matches are robust; 2 are still matches at 111 markers. One of my other five 111 marker matches not named Reid indicates Reid ancestry. That gives me confidence in the continuinty of my Reid surname through the generations.
My most recent 111 marker match was in October 2020. For significant matches like that FTDNA can email an alert.
Take the Big Y. It’s a whole new game.
Whole new game, but almost the same top matches – 4/5