Which DNA Testing Company will give you the most matches?

[peter]

I need to go through your works about DNA as it is all above my head.

You don't need to understand DNA or the Masterclass - you just need to follow the instructions, which are simple and straightforward.

Since you have tested with Ancestry there is no need to spend any time at other sites, certainly for the first few months after you start following the instructions in the Masterclass. You might find the odd clue at MyHeritage but there will so my more clues at Ancestry that you're better spending your time there.

.You will need some sort of Ancestry subscription, but there is probably little point buying the Pro Tools add-on for the first couple of months, as you'll have quite enough to do without it.

 

[brynjon]

Thanks for that - I have Ancestry and FMP memberships for now. My MH membership has lapsed. My initial test was with the Family Finder site, then I took the Ancestry DNA which I also convinced my now late father to do so as did his brother (my uncle). With a surname of JONES - from Wales - has made it a little more difficult initially. At 61 now, I expect to have the time to master it.

 

[cfbandit]

Although Ancestry don't sell their test in every European country - for example, DNA tests are illegal in France - you're not necessarily going to get more matches with people who share your continental European ancestry by testing with MyHeritage because so many people migrated to the US during the 19th and 20th centuries.

France - argh! I *wish* they sold tests legally there. My dad's grandfather was our immigrant from Italy, so we still have quite a few matches in Italy and Switzerland who have been pretty dedicated to FTDNA and MyHeritage and haven't made the move over to Ancestry. Curiously, the group of Italians that moved to Brazil seem to adore Ancestry - I have a ton of matches there too. Mum's mother was our Brit immigrant so we still have quite a few matches there too. I have a lot of smaller country matches (2 in Belgium, for example) but these are the big guys. Nothing I didn't really expect, though the popularity in New Zealand caught me by surprise.

United Kingdom 1,338
Australia 1,235
Italy 1,064
Canada 1,058
USA 1,052
New Zealand 950
Germany 864
Switzerland 1,041
Austria 625
Netherlands 567
France 142
Ireland 150

 

[peter]

For what it's worth my 10,725 matches at MyHeritage break down as follows:

USA 4,198
United Kingdom 2,097*
Australia 466
Canada 278
New Zealand 195
Germany 172*
Ireland 146*
Netherlands 143
Sweden 128
France 118
Denmark 105
Norway 99
Switzerland 36
Belgium 31*

* documented ancestry roughly 87% UK, 6% Ireland, 6% Germany, Walloon ancestor arrived mid-1500s

 

[IanL]

As I started this thread I should add my contribution. The countries with the largest proportion of my 22,966 matches on MyHeritage are:

USA 9,265
United Kingdom 3,782
Australia 1,314
Ireland 932
Canada 726
New Zealand 470
Norway 242
Sweden 172
Germany 149
France 144
Netherlands 138
Denmark 111

 

[canadianbeth]

I have 10,038 matches. (18,941 at Ancestry)
Below 12 there are some really "out there" countries listed. I have no close family and only 15 extended family.
Those with 12 or more are:

United Kingdom 2,128
Australia 531
Canada 257
New Zealand 225
Sweden 134
Germany 127
Netherlands 123
France 118
Denmark 80
Norway 76
Ireland 70
Finland 57
Switzerland 28
Spain 19
Belgium 15
Austria 12
South Africa 12

 

[Tim]

I have 27,782 at Ancestry and 21,513 at MyHeritage (Listed below), interesting to see how the numbers have changed since March. (26,913 at Ancestry and 20,640 at MyHeritage)

USA 8,091
United Kingdom 4,767
Australia 1,075
Canada 592
New Zealand 416
Ireland 266
Netherlands 240
Germany 213
Sweden 187
Norway 178
France 168
Denmark 129
Spain 55
Finland 43
Belgium 36
Switzerland 33
South Africa 18
Italy 14
Austria 13
Iceland 10
Brazil 9
Portugal 8
Hong Kong 7
Poland 6
Luxembourg 6
Chile 6
Czechia 6
Greece 5
Hungary 5
Faroe Islands 5
Japan 5
Cyprus 4
Thailand 4
Mexico 3
Türkiye 3
Croatia 3
Russia 3
Bermuda 3
Ukraine 3
Singapore 2
Nicaragua 2
Costa Rica 2
Malta 2
Bulgaria 2
Argentina 2
Bosnia & Herzegowina 1
Reunion 1
French Polynesia 1
Slovakia 1
Bahrain 1
United Arab Emirates 1
South Korea 1
Philippines 1
Taiwan 1
Indonesia 1
Slovenia 1
Saudi Arabia 1
Greenland 1
Malaysia 1
India 1
Monaco 1
El Salvador 1
Dominican Republic 1
Belize 1
Puerto Rico 1
Zimbabwe 1
Belarus 1
Lithuania 1