Merrill Genealogy
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Unless otherwise specified, "Merrill" includes surnames Merrill, Merrell, Merrel and Merrall.
Among DNA testees and living family members, other spelling variations are not known to be related to these families. Prior to 1900, spelling variations were common and are not significant.
This project is devoted to the genealogy of Merrill families, with special emphasis on DNA test results. It includes all known Merrill-surname males who have had a Y-chromosome DNA test.
| US | other | |
|---|---|---|
| tested (Merrill) | 121 | 4 |
| living (Merrill) / living (all surnames) | 1/7000 | 1/31,000 |
| tested (all surnames) / living (all surnames) | 1/220 | unknown |
| tested (Merrill) / living (Merrill) | 1/180 | 1/180 (est) |
Families
At least eight separate Merrill families have been identified through DNA testing in the US, UK and Australia. Of 125 total testees as of 4/26/13, 42 descend from a male Merrill who emigrated to Newbury, Massachusetts in 1634.
34 others are related to each other. 33 descend from two related male Merrills, probably close cousins but not brothers, who emigrated from Warwickshire to Staten Island, New York about 1680. One other, an Australian resident, descends from a Yorkshire ancestor who lived about 1700.
The remaining 49 testees include at least six smaller families, plus individuals not having known Merrill relatives outside their immediate family. Unrelated individuals can acquire the Merrill surname through adoption, name change, or extra-marital conception.
Only 4 of the 125 Merrills so far tested reside outside the US. Except for the Australian resident, none of these is related to a living US Merrill family.
We especially encourage all non-US residents who have Merrill ancestors to contact us and tell us what they know about their ancestry.
DNA
It is a common misconception that all Merrills must be related. The DNA results prove that the Merrills belong to at least eight unrelated families.
More exactly, all living humans are related, but their common ancestor lived earlier than 50 thousand years ago. Surnames came into common use only about 600 years ago, so it is pure coincidence that several different families independently adopted the Merrill surname.
Under the "DNA" tab, the sub-tab "DNA project results" lists complete DNA results for all tested Merrills, including unrelated individuals. The sub-tabs "Newbury MA" and "Staten Island NY" compare DNA results with known pedigrees, within each of the two largest families.
Links
External links about DNA testing in general, or about Merrills in general, are under "Links". Links pertaining to specific families or individuals are under "Families", organized by family.
Contact
Later, the "Contact" tab will contain an online registration form for users who wish to post queries or post information for shared access.
Log In
The "Log In" tab is for Administrators only. Guests are anonymous and do not need to log in.
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