DNA - What's the point?

[Nanna52]

Yes, that is where the fun is.  Matching cousins, finding where they fit in relation to you and those skeletons in the closet come out.

[Shiny1]

Great, thank you.

Maybe I just looked too soon, I thought when my results were in that was it finished.

Hopefully I'll get some closer matches if I wait a bit longer.

Michael

[Nanna52]

Oh it has only just begun.  As more people test you will have more matches.  I have over 17,000 matches with 831 fourth cousin or better.  Mind you I have a strong American link and a family which didn’t seem to know where their bed was.  So many are searching for an unknown parent.   Large families help too.  My son is 11,000 and 270. 

[Shiny1]

Sounds great, thanks.

What do you mean your son is 11,000 and 270?

[Nanna52]

My son has 11,000 matches, 270 fourth cousin or better.

[avm228]

My son has 11,000 matches, 270 fourth cousin or better.

Where do you see the total number of matches? I can only see a number for 4th cousin and closer on mine.

NB 4th cousin & closer is misleading, as it includes matches assessed as likely 4th-6th cousins.

[Shiny1]

Ok thanks

[zannette]

Hi, my dna result saved me from making a huge mistake about who my grandfather was. The name O'Neill is so common in Ireland, plus a Smith wife that I had him down as the son of the wrong John O'Neill and Eliza Smith. Fortunately close cousins had had a dna test and I was put onto the correct  family. As I was told 'dna does not lie'. In time closer members of your family will have dna tests and the results will be much closer than 4th cousin, which is really distant. Good luck

[avm228]

I too have made important corrections to my tree as a result of DNA matching finding the right path back - especially helpful where families have used the same names over and over again.