July 9, 2010. The Glenn, Glynn, Glen Surname DNA Project has been working since 2003 to establish relationships between the various Glenn/Glynn/McGlynn families worldwide. As a supplement to traditional genealogical research, this Y-DNA study will help identify families of these surnames who share a common male ancestor. There are many apparently unrelated families that use these surnames. Some of these are of Irish ancestry, some are French, and some are English. Also, some clans, like mine for example, may have taken the surname based on a group they felt an affinity to--even if they were not related to all of the people in that group. Genetic DNA testing is not a magic wand. When you find a close match, it gives you the potential to collaborate with another researcher of your surname to determine a connection--which can lead to a breakthrough. A perfect match with someone of the same surname on 37 or more markers almost always indicates a direct connection -- but that connection could still be beyond the paper trail that exists -- especially with the Irish Glynns (most Irish records were lost in a 1921 Dublin fire). The Y-700 tests have proven invaluable for getting past the lack of a papertrail. They show that our 250 members hail from various unrelated families, but the Y-700 matches you not only against people with a common surname, but the entire Y-tree of mankind. My closest matches do not use our surname, but all hail from the same 10-mile radius in Ireland some 500+ years ago.