This DNA project focuses on the surname Blahnik.  The name is of Czech origin and seems to be fairly uncommon.  At this point, group has found five  different DNA lines with one group having a tree back to the 1400’s.

A summary of the current results will be presented here.

The United States immigration records showed 118 immigrants with the last name of Blahnik.  These people came from 32 families.  At this point it is unclear if all of those families were related or just immigrated at different times.  Wisconsin had the greatest number of Blahnik immigrants with 66 people settling this state during the late 19^th to early 20^th century.

In 2011 the White pages the people with the last name of Blahnik had grown to 821 from these 118 immigrants.  One third of these Blahniks were still living in Wisconsin.

It was discovered that among the Wisconsin residents, a majority of them had their oldest known ancestor coming from SW Bohemia in the area of Domazlice to Klatovy.  One of the family lines had a genealogical tree going back to the 1400’s and ancient Chod Heritage in Czech.  It was also discovered that the greatest number of Blahniks in Czech continued to live in this same SW area of the Czech Republic.

This DNA group was up to see how we might all relate.  The information will be presented by the name of the oldest known ancestor from each Blahnik family.  Currently five different families (Male family lines) have been discovered.

Fifteen different male Blahniks from what seemed like separate families took the DNA test which resulted in these five different groups.  The groups are being identified by the oldest known ancestor and the Haplogroup affiliated with them.  The majority of Czechs have an “R” or R1b Haplogroup (roughly 36%).  None of our Blahnik families belong to this group. “R” is often associated with the Celts and the Boii tribe was said to have been pushed over the Alps into Czech (Bohemia) by the Romans.

1-     Haplo I2a or I-P37.2 Lipkov, Bohemia includes families from Czech villages Smrzovice, Kout, Vitovky and Klatovy.  Also immigrant locations for  Winnipeg Canada, Algoma WI are included with this group.  This includes both American and Czech DNA samples.  The oldest known ancestor was Ondra Blahnik c1455 Lipkov (between Domazlice and Klatovy) -after1482.  This appears to be the largest Blahnik family both in Czech and North America.

2-      Haplo N1C1 or N-M231 has been found for two different families.  There is an immigrant family named Blahnik who settled in Ashland, WI.  Their oldest known ancestor was Jan (John) Blahnik c1825 possibly Chodska Lhota, Bohemia.  There was also a man in the Czech Republic that match his DNA with this Wisconsin family whose oldest known ancestor was Frantisek c1875 from the Village Trhanov (near Domazlice) Bohemia.  It appears their shared ancestor could have been from the 1700’s.

3-     Haplo  I1 or I-M253 belongs to one of the immigrant families that settled in Iowa.  The oldest known ancestor for this group is Georg (Jiri) Blahnik b: in Bohemia estimated birth 1840.  He married Dorothea (Janva) Janca Janda and they lived in Mlynec, Klatovy in the mid 1800’s.

4-     H2b1 or I-M223 is the Haplogroup for an ancestral Blahnik family from Ledvice.  The oldest known ancestor of this group is Joseph Blahnik 1875 Ledvice, Bohemia.  This family emigrated to France before coming to America in the next generation.  Descendents can be found in IL and WI.

5-     Haplo L-M61 was found for the group known as the Volduchy Blahniks. The oldest known ancestor was Matej Blahnik b: Abt. 1775 Bohemia.  The L-M61 is an interesting Haplotype for this Czech family.  Many people with this type can be found in India.

The DNA project ignited some interest from the Libkov Blahnik family.  The commissioned additional genealogical research in Czech to connect the Algoma and Canadian branches to the Smrzovice tree shown below:

 There are some branches that split off the trunk earlier.  Though they are connected genetically, the genealogical connection has yet to be found.

The Blahnik DNA group is open for more testing.  There are Blahniks in other European Countries as well as other immigrant families who have not been tested.  We invite any male Blahniks (also spelled  Blacknik and Blamick with some American immigrant families) to join and connect with your Czech Cousins.