R-U198 Lynns

THE LYNNS OF R-U198

The Family Name

Lin - Lind - Line - Linn - Linne - Lyn - Lynd - Lyne - Lynn - Lynne

The Lynn surname has several completely different origins and even more variant spellings. In some cultures, particularly the United States and Britain, the spelling of surnames was relatively inconsistent even into the 19th century. This phenomenon is important to bear in mind, whether following a paper trail or studying your family's DNA portrait. However, it is the DNA itself which most reliably defines family relationships.

The primary goals of this project are to identify and connect those Lynns, Linns, etc. who share a common ancestor - within the DNA haplogroup R-U198 - and to discover where our family's origin lies. The most important tool at this site is our chart of Y-DNA results.

Nevertheless, the paper trail is also vital. While DNA provides estimates of the time within which specific individuals share a common ancestor, the historic documents and records are needed to corroborate those estimates and refine them into lineages. In addition to the discussion of Lynn surname origins, there are at this site reliable histories of two of our group's most distant known ancestors. Others will be added over time. It is hoped that, eventually, it will be possible to connect some of these ancestors to each other.

Also available here are extracts of the 1850 U.S. Census listing all men by the name Lynn or one its variants who were born in either Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, or continental Europe. Also included on each census chart are sons, if any, born in the U.S. or any country other than the country to which that specific chart relates. It must be borne in mind, however, that not all Lynns, etc. have the same genetic origins. See "Important Note" on the main 1850 U.S. Census page.

The DNA charts, census, and lineages constitute the resources currently available at this site.

Our Y-DNA Haplogroup

R-U198

Condensed and adapted from R-U198 Discussion, with permission of the R-U198 Project. For the discussion in its entirety, see http://meekdna.com/U198dna/S29_5.html.

R-U198 is rather uncommon. Even in England, where the highest concentration has been observed to date, it does not seem to comprise more than one or two percent of the male population.

There is a distinct lack of R-U198 in populations with a Gaelic origin or culture. Within the British Isles, R-U198 seems mainly confined to those of English, Lowland Scots, or Ulster Scots extraction.

It is apparent from an examination of Scandinavian Y-DNA projects that R-U198 is conspicuous by its absence (as of May ’10). In marked contrast, the unrelated “R-M198” (a sub-group of a completely different haplogroup, R1a) is present in significant numbers.

R-U198 exists in continental Europe and may (or may not) have originated there. By May 2010, the entire R-U198 project contained only five members [non-Lynns] actually resident in continental Europe. One of those lives in Normandie, France and claims Norman ancestry. Another lives in Belgium and is of Flemish ancestry. Two live in the Netherlands. The fifth is Czech but suspects he may have ancestry from Alsace. [Interestingly for the Lynns, there is documentation that suggests the Lynn surname originated with a twelfth-century man from the Flemish village of Lynde. If true, this of course would not mean that R-U198 itself originated in Flanders. L. Layman]

Surname Origin

Y-DNA Results

Ancestors

1850 U.S. Census

Contact - Group Administrator: Loretta at Lynneage@h-o-l.com or Lynneage@comcast.net