Only 140,000 people in FTDNAs database?

[Jim Barrett]

How many "Anonymous" matches do you have at 23andMe? How many do you have at FTDNA? How many of your matches at 23andMe provide their email address? How many of your matches at FTDNA provide their email address? How many of your matches at 23andMe have a tree on line? How many of your matches at FTDNA have a tree on line?

I have more in each of these groups at FTDNA than I do at 23andMe. I wish all of my matches at both places provided GOOD trees, GOOD surname list and a GOOD email address. I know 23andMe doesn't share email address, which I think is a very poor decision, but the customers at 23andMe can include their email address in their personal information.

[wombat]

The point is that if people on 23andMe won't share their data, you can't compare them in the chromosome browser. And in my experience, many people on 23andMe don't share, and it's very hard to get a response from matches. Very frustrating!

A lot of people are open sharing now at least over there. And you can see their ancestry comp, something you can't even do here at all.

I thought people would be better at responding here and that more people would put up or link trees and so on, but to be honest, I don't find any of that stuff any better here than at 23.

[susan_dakin]

You have a chromosome browser at 23andMe, though it works a little differently.

The point is that if people on 23andMe won't share their data, you can't compare them in the chromosome browser. And in my experience, many people on 23andMe don't share, and it's very hard to get a response from matches. Very frustrating!

[jova99]

302,468 37-marker records in the database

https://www.familytreedna.com/why-ftdna.aspx

FTDNA has 642,351 Y-DNA records in the database

over 300,000 in the 37-marker Y database and 281,589 mtDNA records in their database...

[keigh]

For sheer size of a data base on strictly the Autosomal testing, Ancestry has the largest base. Over there, I have almost 50,000 cousin matches while here I have almost 4,000. I find that the number of matches is going up far quicker over at Ancestry, especially after a sale. The FTDNA match list is increasing but at a slower rate.

Many of my matches here I also see over at Ancestry. They transferred from there to here. I find doing a tree is much easier with the Ancestry program, though I do keep a bare bones pedigree tree here.

[Cliff43J]

I have tested with 23andMe (I uploaded to FTDNA), and my 3 closest matches there don't reply to messages so I can't find out where we match. They are just ignoring me, but I've also had several requests to compare genomes declined. I have fewer matches on FTDNA but at least I can compare them in the chromosome browser.

My experiences run close to yours.

FF testees are a pathetic lot for replying, IMO. I have not had that much success with them. To me they are just wasting their money if they don't join in on our research, IMO.


Good hunting,

Cliff.

[mabrams]

The total includes those who originally tested at AncestryDNA or 23andMe and uploaded their results into FTDNA's database. Anyone who's done this has a kit number with the "B" prefix.

I see a lot of people joining the Sicily Project, of which I'm administrator, by uploading from the other two companies. I can tell by their kit number. The highest "B" kit number I've seen is B226598. This tells me that over 200,000 people, maybe close to 250,000 people, in the FTDNA autosomal database have uploaded results from AncestryDNA or 23andMe.

I think it's probably a good estimate that 200,000-250,000 people have tested Family Finder directly at FTDNA and not uploaded autosomal results from another company. Adding the estimates for the uploads and direct Family Finder test results, it seems like about 500,000 is a fair estimate for the size of FTDNA's autosomal database. However, about half of those are uploaded results from other companies.

Mike, I tend to see it differently. I dont think 50% are transfers.

On the Chromosome Browser, there is a Hide 3rd Party Matches checkbox. When I do that, my matches shrink from 3034 to 2718, which is almost exactly (pardon the oxymoron) 10%.

Another person (my 5th/6th cousin) went from 3073 to 2706. about 12%

An Ashkenazi person went from 12531 to 11175. About 7%.

So based upon 3 examples, I would say maybe 10% of the FF database are transfers.

I realize I just did the decrease and I should be talking about increases, but the main idea remains the same.

[shentonjim]

YDNA 12 MATCHES

Matches Y12 The Entire Data Base, GD of 0 & 1, 733 matches
GD Diff. 50% 50% 1. Many FF Data about 40%, many hidden details about 15% conclude data base of 733 inclusive FF

ME tested y111, no matches except 3 a ty25 gd 2 waiting for FTDNA to break down brick wall ??? DSY 439 + 14


BEST WISHES JIM

[Frank Kelch]

...I wish that your and Frank Kelch's estimate that FTDNA has 1 million people in their autosomal database is correct. I've been a customer of FTDNA since 2005 and an administrator of two large projects, so I want to FTDNA to grow. But all the information that's public says to me that FTDNA doesn't have 1 million people in its autosomal database.

I believe I said that by now, they should be "fairly close to a million" people in the autosomal database. If I had to be more precise, I'd guess at slightly more than 800,000.

[MMaddi]

For database size on the "Why FTDNA" page they say:

"Our databases are the most comprehensive in the field of Genetic Genealogy. As of August 25, 2017, the Family Tree DNA database has 901,966 records. Total numbers include transfers from the Genographic Project and resellers in Europe and Middle East."

I take that to mean their autosomal database as they also give numbers for their other databases.

Here's additional information from the page - https://www.familytreedna.com/why-ftdna.aspx - you're quoting:

630,315 Y-DNA records in the database
312,214 25-marker records in the database
290,738 37-marker records in the database
150,951 67-marker records in the database
271,651 mtDNA records in the database

Adding the yDNA and mtDNA numbers (630,315 and 271,651) together gives a total of 901,966. And that's exactly the number you quoted for their entire database.

I don't think this is a coincidence. The total they give is for yDNA and mtDNA results and doesn't include Family Finder autosomal results. This is why ISOGG only has an estimate for the size of FTDNA's autosomal database. The company has never issued a public count for that part of their database.

I wish that your and Frank Kelch's estimate that FTDNA has 1 million people in their autosomal database is correct. I've been a customer of FTDNA since 2005 and an administrator of two large projects, so I want to FTDNA to grow. But all the information that's public says to me that FTDNA doesn't have 1 million people in its autosomal database.

[jimbirk]

For database size on the "Why FTDNA" page they say:

"Our databases are the most comprehensive in the field of Genetic Genealogy. As of August 25, 2017, the Family Tree DNA database has 901,966 records. Total numbers include transfers from the Genographic Project and resellers in Europe and Middle East."

I take that to mean their autosomal database as they also give numbers for their other databases.

[MMaddi]

Well, Ancestry has went from 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 in the last few months... With FTDNA now accepting transfers, it's likely that they've added at least a few hundred thousand customers since may 1st.

I think you're overestimating how well-known FTDNA is outside of people who are genealogists and looking for a company that does DNA testing.

If you watch TV with any regularity, you'll see an AncestryDNA commercial a few times a week. 23andMe does advertise on TV, but not nearly as much as AncestryDNA. So, I ask you - when have you ever seen an FTDNA commercial on TV? I can tell you that I never have.

With all the TV advertising that AncestryDNA has, they are getting a lot of customers who aren't genealogists and are attracted to the idea of finding out their ethnicity estimate. That's the sole content of AncestryDNA commercials - find out where your ancestors came from hundreds of years ago. (To quote one of their more silly commercials: "I had to trade in my lederhosen for a kilt.") There is no mention of finding cousins in the database, breaking down brick walls or helping adoptees find biological parents or close biological relatives.

To put it bluntly, AncestryDNA is going for the low-hanging fruit (people just curious about their ethnic make-up) and that's why they've been able to grow their database so quickly. This is evident by the lack of family trees that your matches at AncestryDNA have. I know this because I tested at AncestryDNA.

I wish that FTDNA's database was larger, as you believe, but based on what I've written above I think you're overestimating its size. Of course, FTDNA could put an end to speculation if they would publicly give the size of their autosomal database, as they have with yDNA and mtDNA, but they've never done that.

[Frank Kelch]

You're estimating that FTDNA has gone from 500,000 to 1,000,000 autosomal results since May 1? That sounds like an awfully quick rate of increase. I think that 600,000 or at most 700,000 is probably more accurate...

Well, Ancestry has went from 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 in the last few months... With FTDNA now accepting transfers, it's likely that they've added at least a few hundred thousand customers since may 1st.

[MMaddi]

According to ISOGG's autosomal comparison chart, FTDNA had approximately 500,000 names in it's autosomal database as of may 1st. By now, it should be fairly close to 1,000,000.


https://isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA...mparison_chart

You're estimating that FTDNA has gone from 500,000 to 1,000,000 autosomal results since May 1? That sounds like an awfully quick rate of increase. I think that 600,000 or at most 700,000 is probably more accurate.

But then we're both just guesstimating, since FTDNA has never given an official number of autosomal results in their database.

[Frank Kelch]

...I think it's probably a good estimate that 200,000-250,000 people have tested Family Finder directly at FTDNA and not uploaded autosomal results from another company. Adding the estimates for the uploads and direct Family Finder test results, it seems like about 500,000 is a fair estimate for the size of FTDNA's autosomal database....

According to ISOGG's autosomal comparison chart, FTDNA had approximately 500,000 names in it's autosomal database as of may 1st. By now, it should be fairly close to 1,000,000.

https://isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA_testing_comparison_chart