The Hiley Y-DNA Project - Family History and DNA

The Hiley Y-DNA Project was set up in November 2020 by Susan Meates, the DNA Advisor  for the Guild of One-Name Studies. 

The next few posts will look at Family History and DNA, the Hiley Project, and what we have discovered so far about the origins of the various Hiley/Highley families.

Family History and DNA

DNA testing for genealogy, known as genetic genealogy, is the latest technology available and a very powerful tool for use with family history research. The advantage of DNA testing for genealogy is that you can discover information not in the paper records, which will ensure the accuracy of your family tree. By testing males with the surname of interest, such as Hiley or Highley, you can determine if the males are related, and approximately when their common ancestor existed. This information is extremely valuable in making accurate connections in your family history research.

This harmless genealogy DNA test is for males, since males have an X and a Y chromosome, making them male, and the Y chromosome is passed from father to son, typically unchanged. The test result is a string of 37 numbers, which represent the count of short repeats of DNA located on the Y chromosome at specific locations. Males who match or are a close match, and share a surname or variant, are related in a genealogical time frame.

The surnames Hiley and Highley arose at multiple locations at different times, so there are multiple different genetic results in the Hiley/Highley population spread around the world.

The formation of surnames varied depending on the country. The major period of surname formation and adoption in England was 1250-1450. This process occurred first in the major population centres and the south, and gradually moved north and to rural areas. Over time, the surnames evolved to different forms. The majority of the population was illiterate, and their surname was only spoken, and then written down by another person, such as the clergy recording a baptism. Migrations had an impact on the recording of surnames, due to differences in pronunciation. As a result of these factors, variant forms of a surname arose over time.

The objective with our Family History and DNA Project is to test each family tree, determine which trees are related, and hopefully, eventually, discover the origin for each group of related family trees. Most documented family trees only go back to the 1800s or 1700s. DNA testing will take you back to the origin of the surname, typically approximately 500 years prior. And during these 500 years that can’t be covered by documents, variant forms of the surname arose, so we may find other surnames matching Hiley.

The DNA test result will also tell you about your distant origins. Since you will match those to whom you are related, the test result contains no personal information.

If you are male with the surname Hiley or Highley or know a male in your family tree with one of these surnames, please contact me. The cost of testing is paid for those males representing family trees which have not tested yet, or where additional males are needed to test in a family tree.

With thanks to Susan Meates