DNA Test

[bonron]

Could i please ask , if any one can tell me how i would go about having a DNA test , with the hope i would find a match in Italy "only" as my fathers parents on his mothers side came from Italy,any advice would be appreciated , thank you Bonron

[Gadget]

https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-dna-testing-kits

They all have their advantages and disadvantages. 

Ancestry has a large database so you're likely to get more matches  but it doesn't have a proper chromosome browser that helps to do more detailed matching.

My Heritage is possibly better for Italian matches and has a chromosome browser but has a smaller database. 

I think, if it was me, I'd go for Ancestry and then upload the results to the other sites (including Gedmatch.

Others will come along with more advice 


Gadget

[pughcd]

Hi,

Yes I would agree with Gadget that Ancestry DNA is probably the best one to test with as it has the largest global membership.

However from your post it appears that you have just one Italian grandparent so theoretically only a quarter of your matches could be Italian. You may find that you have many more Italian matches from USA than from Europe since DNA testing is not as popular outside the States.

Once you have tested at Ancestry you can transfer your raw data to MyHeritage and GEDmatch to get extra coverage.

PS Wait for a Sale event if you want to save a little money.

[Cell]

Could i please ask , if any one can tell me how i would go about having a DNA test , with the hope i would find a match in Italy "only" as my fathers parents on his mothers side came from Italy,any advice would be appreciated , thank you Bonron

I'd  go with  an ancestry test , and not for the reason that they have the largest database ( my  matches  on Ancestry are mostly very low cms ( minus a few second cousins and third cousins )- mine are absolutely  full of Americans distantly related to me way way back with no way of finding the link  - (some of my direct  ancestors siblings who have emigrated to the US centuries ago  ).
I have the most very  close  relatives(European matches on My Heritage). Ancestry has the largest database because Americans seem to favour ancestry kits over other sites kits- population will always swing that one.

The reason why I'd  go with Ancestry ( as I did) , like others  have said ,is because you can download your ancestry results and upload it to other companies as well.
 Ancestry does not allow other companies results to be uploaded to their site .They are very  inclusive .
If you take a test with any other company , say for an example My heritage, you can not upload your My heritage dna  results to Ancestry .

Kind regards
Ps there are currently sales  for Ancestry kits on now . Not sure where you are, but if you're in the US there is currently a US $59 sale price on now , or here with me in Aus there's an offer of $70 Au dollars to celebrate fathers day( usually $129) until next Monday ( postage is on top of that) Ancestry are always having  sales on throughout the year. More often or not they have a sale on.

[Lisa in California]

After reading the above comments, I’m glad that I chose Ancestry.  I eventually convinced my brother, mother, son and husband to take DNA tests as well.  Sadly, my father passed away years ago so I do not have a test from him.

However, I was (I eventually got over it) a bit disappointed in the number of my matches.  My (American) husband is not interested in genealogy so doesn’t it just figure that he has incredibly more results than I have received.

One word of caution, if the tests are still done the same way — carefully follow the instructions. My husband’s first two tests were compromised (I think that’s the word that was used) so he had to submit three DNA samples (with no additional cost). It was frustrating for those of us who are impatient.  . I don’t understand what could have gone wrong with the tests as my husband, son and I took the first test at the same time (we all followed the instructions).

I agree with others - if you aren’t impatient, waiting for a sale is what I would do.  In addition, if you have other family members who are interested, then waiting could help everyone.

Note: it’s best to be prepared for surprises in the results.  I found a very distant cousin who turned out to be related through an ancestor who gave up her first child for adoption.  While my new cousin and I were thrilled to find each other, that might not always happen.

[Biggles50]

Ancestry, most certainly.

My Great Great Grandfather was Italian and I only found him via DNA, when earlier this year a new DNA match appeared in my Ancestry matches.  The matches cM gave the most likely probability of our relationship which fitted with DNA Painters predictions and then the flood gates opened and I have about 100 DNA Cousins of Italian origin and many still reside there and some are now linked in my tree and the relationships predicted match the actuals.

I suggest that you also take a My Heritage DNA test which I have done and it has produced a new batch of Italian DNA Cousins for me.  My Heritage does not have the numbers that Ancestry does so do bear that in mind. 

Uploading DNA data to other sites like FamilyTreeDNA and Gedmatch may yield results but do note that if you have say a 90cM match on Ancestry when the person has uploaded their DNA data and you recognise them on Gedmatch their cM to you will be different, its just the way the data is processed.

Do also note that the current DNA bandwagon is Traits and many sites offer this feature at the expense of doing nothing to present DNA Matches.

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=863488.0

Do readup on using DNA on threads in the forum and the above is a starter for you.

Also to learn more about DNA then on the Gedmatch website there are very useful videos explaining each of the DNA tools available

[Wred]

My paternal grandparents were Italian born and my original Ancestry DNA test had me as English (90%).
The update now has me as 40% Welsh and mix of English, Nordic, Scots and Irish. The latter would be from Mum.

Still no Italians, or southern Europe ethnicity. I am totally bemused.

I wonder if the results are skewed because they were from a small isolated mountain village in the northern Apennines with 95%  having the same surname before they moved to Wales.

I thought I might find some American cousins but nothing yet.

Will now try following advice given here.




 

[bonron]

Thank you every one for your replies regards having a DNA test, insearch of any possible matches in Italy, My Father was born in Alexandria Egypt in 1903 to Italian Parents on his mothers side mother called Giussapina Bambaza, is fathers side i believe was Irish name William Foley, so perhaps i thought  a slight posserbility of finding a match on the Italian side, i did send a blood samle to family tree DNA in America but no matches for Italy, I know with out doubt Mario Majisti was my father born in 1903 in Alexandria Egypt,so i would like to thank you all for your wonderful advice, i will try Ancesty and see were this takes me, PS sorry for late reply to your contacts,

Kind Regards Bonron

[Foleytracker]

Bonron
I can't tell if you have had any success on the DNA side.  I personally have used all of the major DNA test providers and uploaded to other sites where that facility is provided.  If your family tree tracing is accurate I may be able to help on that.  Also checking that the spelling of your grandmother's name is accurate.  I have it as Giuseppina Bambara but I'm thinking you change it on some of your posts but not on purpose.