Scots-Irish but only 8% British Isles?

[campbellum]

In 1740 my Campbell ancestor came from Ireland. Genealogies I found online show that this line originally came from Argyll, Scotland, which makes total sense, given the family name. However, the My Origins map shows a 67% Central/Western Europe and only 8% British Isles?

How is that possible? Yes, 1000 or 2000 years ago my Celtic ancestors were on the Continent, but they were in Scotland and Ireland for many centuries after that.

Why only 8% British Isles???

[ltd-jean-pull]

You asked a similar question earlier and I suggested not to focus too much on your patrilineal Campbell line. You replied that you weren't.

One ancestor from 1740 won't have a large influence on your MyOrigins.

There is a tendency to think that the people of Argyll got there by being pushed west as new immigrants arrived. However, they have quite a seagoing tradition and some settlers could have arrived by sea, or genes could have arrived by visitors raping and pillaging.

[campbellum]

Why be dismissive about a key ancestor?

Thanks for your reply. I asked my question again because I am still baffled and not satisfied with off-the-top-of-the-head answers.

My 1740 ancestor is not just “one” person. He is our surname’s link to the Old World. Before him, ALL my paternal ancestors were on the British Isles. ALL of them. So they should weigh in very heavily on my DNA, should they not?

So I do not understand why you think I should be dismissive about “one” ancestor. I just don’t believe that with all that British ancestry I should only show 8%. What am I missing?

Thank you again.

[ewd76]

Do you know what his parents' names were? Did he live there all of his life before immigrating? If he came from somewhere else and then took that name for some reason, then that might explain things.

[ltd-jean-pull]

In 1740 my Campbell ancestor came from Ireland. Genealogies I found online show that this line originally came from Argyll, Scotland, which makes total sense, given the family name.

Then why do you focus on this one ancestor?

[spruithean]

But he IS just one person. He has very little input on your genome compared to your other collateral lines in your family tree. You descend from far more people than just this Campbell individual, and due to genetic inheritance some of these ancestors in your family tree may just be pedigree ancestors and not genetic ancestors.

I also have an ancestor from Scotland born in the late 1790s who settled in a place heavily settled by Ulster-Scots, he married into one of the early Ulster families who settled there 2 generations prior. While I have this man's Y-DNA, something I inherited, I may not share much of my autosomal DNA with him at all or with his parents. Because it's just so long ago. We have more ancestors than we have genes.

What are your results in MO2 besides 8% British? Also, ethnicity calculators need to be taken with a grain of salt no matter their accuracy. We are talking about predicting ethnicity based on genetics! There is far more to ethnicity than genetics. Instead I view it as vague geographical genetic comparison, Western Europe, The Isles and Scandinavia all share a significant amount of DNA thanks to ancient migrations, modern migrations and the fact that Europeans are fairly similar genetically.

[NCroots]

I think it's worth mentioning that NW European DNA is extremely similar; it's difficult to distinguish one ethnic group from another in atDNA testing (haplogroup markers are more capable of calling distinctions). All of Western Europe is mixed Celtic & Germanic to varying degrees. For this reason, British might show up as French/German and vice versa.

[spruithean]

I think it's worth mentioning that NW European DNA is extremely similar; it's difficult to distinguish one ethnic group from another in atDNA testing (haplogroup markers are more capable of calling distinctions). All of Western Europe is mixed Celtic & Germanic to varying degrees. For this reason, British might show up as French/German and vice versa.

Exactly and I wish this was part of a disclaimer with people's results. So that people didn't get so worked up with results that don't line up with their perceived origins.

[campbellum]

I think it's worth mentioning that NW European DNA is extremely similar; it's difficult to distinguish one ethnic group from another in atDNA testing (haplogroup markers are more capable of calling distinctions). All of Western Europe is mixed Celtic & Germanic to varying degrees. For this reason, British might show up as French/German and vice versa.

This is probably the answer I was looking for. Coincidentally, or not, the European cluster in my MyOrigins map centers very close to Hallstatt. It might as well say “Celtic” or “Celt-Germanic” and be done with it.

Thanks!

[campbellum]

Also, ethnicity calculators need to be taken with a grain of salt no matter their accuracy. We are talking about predicting ethnicity based on genetics! There is far more to ethnicity than genetics. Instead I view it as vague geographical genetic comparison, Western Europe, The Isles and Scandinavia all share a significant amount of DNA thanks to ancient migrations, modern migrations and the fact that Europeans are fairly similar genetically.

Yes, national boundaries mean so much less than human ethnicity. What MyOrigins tells me is that I come from Celtic stock, LIKE THAT found in France/Austria OR Britain.

[campbellum]

Do you know what his parents' names were? Did he live there all of his life before immigrating? If he came from somewhere else and then took that name for some reason, then that might explain things.

I truly wish I knew who his parents were. I know only what other genealogists have posted online, which I can believe but am unable to prove.

[ltd-jean-pull]

This is probably the answer I was looking for. Coincidentally, or not, the European cluster in my MyOrigins map centers very close to Hallstatt. It might as well say “Celtic” or “Celt-Germanic” and be done with it.

The orange blob on the MyOrigins map for West and Central Europe is in the same place for everyone.

[campbellum]

The orange blob on the MyOrigins map for West and Central Europe is in the same place for everyone.

Doh!!