The relationship between surname frequency and Y chromosome variation in Spain

In most societies, surnames are passed down from fathers to sons, just like the Y chromosome. It follows that, theoretically, men sharing the same surnames would also be expected to share related Y chromosomes. Previous investigations have explored such relationships, but so far, the only detailed s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of human genetics : EJHG 2016-01, Vol.24 (1), p.120-128
Main Authors: Martinez-Cadenas, Conrado, Blanco-Verea, Alejandro, Hernando, Barbara, Busby, George B J, Brion, Maria, Carracedo, Angel, Salas, Antonio, Capelli, Cristian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chromosomes
Chromosomes, Human, Y
Demography
European Continental Ancestry Group
Fathers - history
Genetic Variation
Genetics
Genetics, Population - history
Haplotypes
History, Medieval
Humans
Inheritance Patterns
Integrated software
Investigations
Ireland
Male
Names
Population
Spain
Telephone directories
United Kingdom
Y Chromosomes
Zoology
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Summary:In most societies, surnames are passed down from fathers to sons, just like the Y chromosome. It follows that, theoretically, men sharing the same surnames would also be expected to share related Y chromosomes. Previous investigations have explored such relationships, but so far, the only detailed studies that have been conducted are on samples from the British Isles. In order to provide additional insights into the correlation between surnames and Y chromosomes, we focused on the Spanish population by analysing Y chromosomes from 2121 male volunteers representing 37 surnames. The results suggest that the degree of coancestry within Spanish surnames is highly dependent on surname frequency, in overall agreement with British but not Irish surname studies. Furthermore, a reanalysis of comparative data for all three populations showed that Irish surnames have much greater and older surname descent clusters than Spanish and British ones, suggesting that Irish surnames may have considerably earlier origins than Spanish or British ones. Overall, despite closer geographical ties between Ireland and Britain, our analysis points to substantial similarities in surname origin and development between Britain and Spain, while possibly hinting at unique demographic or social events shaping Irish surname foundation and development.
ISSN:1018-4813
1476-5438
DOI:10.1038/ejhg.2015.75