Bowes, Bowe, Related and Similar Surnames DNA Project

This surname project started studying just the Bowes and Bowe names which are known to be related in some areas. Over years of research, a long list of surnames emerged that can claim or have claimed the same and similar variants because they share:

We see these overlaps in the England, Scotland and Ireland as well as in Scandinavian, continental Germanic, and other regions around the world.

Matching Y chromosome DNA is a great tool to establish which of these surname spellings are in fact related, and where, since the time surnames began. Examples established so far can be found in the Name column in our results, although in some cases, as noted, we need additional SNP testing to confirm relatedness between variants that are provisionally grouped together.

As we test more and more men who go by as many of these surnames as possible, we'll further establish which spellings are true variants of one another in surviving families. That will help participants to know what spellings to focus on in their own documentary research. See this work in progress that records untested surname variants on a spreadsheet and helps illustrate the need to cast a wide net.

A characteristic shared by many of these names is that they are uncommon to rare (more than a few probably even extinct!). This means:

Most of these names don't have their own surname DNA project,
Some of these names may be dying out, so time is short to capture their Y DNA and family history. If you know any eligible males please send them our way!

If you know a man whose surname matches our list, please encourage him to participate and help us establish the DNA patterns among these interesting names!

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