This report summarizes y-chromosome DNA haplogroup results by Representative Last Name. The y-chromosome is passed down generations from father to son to grandson to great-grandson, etc. (males only). Changes (mutations) in the y-chromosome haplogroup, defined by base pair substitutions (also called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNP's) happen very infrequently. The haplotypes, defined by the number of repeats in the microsatellite regions of the y-chromosome, change a bit more frequently. The stability of the combination of y-DNA haplogroup and haplotype, and the fact that it involves only the direct paternal lineage, makes it an important tool for tracing genealogies based on last names, or surnames.

Unlike many of the western European countries, the practice of passing down last names to males in subsequent generations is a relatively recent practice. Before that, the patronymic naming system was more commonplace, in which a person's last name was expressed as the son of the father's first name. For example, if Sarkis Arslanian had a son named Dikran, the boy would be called Dikran Sarkisian (son of, or belonging to, Sarkis). Thus, the last name would change each generation and not be the same for different branches of the family, even if they shared a common direct paternal ancestor. As contact with the West became more commonplace and Armenians traveled between their historic homeland and western countries, the convention of using family surnames (that were passed down unchanged down the male lines) started to be adopted. In the earlier example, Sarkis Arslanian's sons (and their sons) would retain the Arslanian last name. The transition was gradual and many records of the late 1800's and early 1900's often show individuals using both their patronymic and family last names interchangeably. One brother might use the family last name while another brother used the patronymic one. New last names might be formed - perhaps based on occupations, places of origin, or traits (using Armenian, Turkish, or Persian root words). After the genocide and in the diaspora, Armenians began to standardize on names (first and last) as they participated in government programs like military draft registrations, naturalization, passports, social security, etc.

Nevertheless, Armenians researching their genealogy are interested in finding others with the same (or similar) last name, often wondering if they are related (i.e., share a common direct paternal ancestor in historical times). The short answer is that they are probably not related, unless they were from the same home village or town. DNA (using the y-chromosome) is useful in answering this question. My great-grandfather Sarkis Arslanian's direct male descendants (like myself) are of y-DNA haplogroup designation G2a2b1, defined by the G SNP PF3299. (See the ISOGG web site for the latest haplogroup designations.) If someone else living today with the Arslanian surname wants to know if their Arslanian family and mine are the same (with a common direct paternal ancestor), they would also have to belong to this same haplogroup designation and have a similar haplotype (with a "genetic distance" not exceeding approximately 90% of the markers tested - 3 out of 37, 6 out of 64, or 11 out of 111). It also helps if their origins were in the same village or town (but movement of the Armenian populations did occur). If they belong to a different haplogroup/haplotype, then they are of a different Arslanian family than mine. Most family last names originated independently in many different places. Even those individuals living today whose last names are associated with historic Armenian royalty a thousand years ago often belong to different haplogroups and haplotypes due to "non-paternal events" (illegitimacy, adoption, or name change).

Several participants in the Armenian DNA Project at FamilyTreeDNA have provided me with their y-DNA test results to show the haplogroups to which their direct paternal ancestors belonged. (Personal contact information is optional.) The following report shows the last name associated with their direct paternal line at the time of the genocide (Representative Last Name, standardized in the western Armenian style for consistency), along with linkages to abstracts of the ship manifest(s) for the immigrant ancestor, if they came to America. By looking at the links to the ship manifests, and the associated records for that person, you can learn more about them. I hope to add hundreds of more similar entries. If you believe that you are of the same family as one of these last names, you can test that hypothesis by ordering a y-chromosome DNA test (of at least 37 markers) from the Armenian DNA Project's Join page. Perhaps some of you can "adopt" a particular last name and organize others of that same last name to participate in the project to see which of you have a common direct paternal ancestor and which do not. Those of the same family can then augment their DNA research with autosomal DNA testing to find others of your family that are not of the direct paternal lineage (female family members and their descendants).

The sort order can be set to "By Representative Last Name" or "By Haplogroup". The haplogroup designation is colored red if it has been predicted by the haplotype values, or green if a SNP has been confirmed by advanced testing.

Sort Order:       By Representative Last NameBy Haplogroup