The McClendon Y-DNA Project has been organized for all who wish to work together to find their common heritage through DNA testing and sharing of information. Most if not all McClendons/McLendons in the United States are believed to be descended from a single immigrant, Dennis MacLendan, who brought 4 sons to North Carolina sometime before 1697. So far, yDNA tests support this theory, as we have yet not found any other group of McClendons with a more genetically distant relationship. All variant spellings are welcome. However, recent Y-DNA analysis has shown that there are few variants to the spelling for the descendants of Dennis McClendon the Immigrant. Also names that may sound about the same, such as McAlindon or McClinton, are actually not variant spellings but unique surnames with ancient origins. It has also been assumed in the past that McClendon was a variant on the surname MacLennan, and that McClendons had been part of the Clan MacLennan. Y-DNA shows us now that the two names are distinct from each other. McClendons might still have originated from Clan MacLennan lands in Scotland, but we just don't know at this time.