# Who are You? 23 and Me Data **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 24, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171 "2014-02-24T23:56:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/1 "2014-02-24T23:56:16Z")
So for Christmas we got checked out by 23 and me. Too late to get the health stuff, but I found the ancestry portion fun. It killed the “we are part Cherokee” comments from one family member, and the other one that wanted to claim strong German heritage. Anyone else playing with this? _Ancestry Composition tells you what percent of your DNA comes from each of 31 populations worldwide. The analysis includes DNA you received from all of your ancestors, on both sides of your family. The results reflect where your ancestors lived 500 years ago, before ocean-crossing ships and airplanes came on the scene._ 99.9% - European Northern European 26.5%: Scandinavian 21.7%: British & Irish 12.0%: French & German 0.1%: Finnish 36.8%: Nonspecific Northern European 0.8%: Eastern European Southern European 0.3%: Nonspecific Southern European 1.6%: Nonspecific European 0.1%: East Asian & Native American 0.1%: Yakut: 0.1%: Native American \< 0.1%: Nonspecific East Asian & Native American ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/2 "2014-02-25T03:46:48Z")
I’m 3/4 Asshole, which totally explains the Anal Leakage. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/3 "2014-02-25T05:47:57Z")
Heh, yeah, I did 23andme last year. Interesting stuff. Also bought a kit for my mom - turns out she really is my biological mother 😉 European 99.6% Northern European: 14.7% British & Irish 1.9% French & German 1.4% Scandinavian 0.4% Finnish 52.0% Nonspecific Northern European Southern European: 1.5% Nonspecific Southern European 0.6% Eastern European 27.0% Nonspecific European Sub-Saharan African 0.1% Nonspecific Sub-Saharan African 0.2% Unassigned …so I guess I may be among the whitest guys you know? 😛 FTR, am an American, Chicagoland. I also have a few family members that also like to claim Native American roots. If so, doesn’t appear to be in my genes at least. I also have a really German surname, guess that falls under non-specific Northern European? I had expected way more on the “German” percentage. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/4 "2014-02-25T05:57:33Z")
What does Nonspecific Northern European mean? Are they not able to be more specific due to the technology or our knowledge at this time or what? 36.8% and 52.0% are some pretty big numbers I think. What are you looking for when you do this? Doesn’t it just confirm what you already know? “Yeah, we’re white guys of English ancestry.” ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/5 "2014-02-25T06:30:37Z")
You can pick between three different levels of confidence. The more liberal you get - the more specific it gets (but more likely to make mistakes). I found the most liberal setting to be the most interesting. It did incorrectly (I believe) assign me with 0.1% Asian (which I now kid me one Asian friend that of the two of us I am the only one with DNA proof of being Asian). I pretty much know my dad’s side goes back (most likely) through one country for a long, long time. It pretty much nailed that - at around 53% of memory serves. My mom’s side is more of a mix of several countries much closer together. I’ve been able to trace some of that back to the 1650s, but by that point - your dealing with like what? 1 part in 4 million. With pedigree collapse and stuff - it’s much better than that of course. Long story short - I think I know country of origin for ~3/8 gg on mom’s side - and the 23 and me data has switched my guesses on how the other 5 might lean. I was pretty impressed with the data - I’m sure they’ll get even better (assuming that FDA stuff doesn’t put them out of business). Of course there is good family money there - so hopefully it will be kept going either way. My ex was much more of a mutt - and that made the more liberal mode seem to make some guesses that didn’t make much sense, but the percentages were so low - It just appeared to be some false positives. Which is what you are warned about pretty much. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/6 "2014-02-25T07:04:39Z")
> [@Algher](#): > > It killed the “we are part Cherokee” comments from one family member… Doesn’t happen to me any more, but when my peers and I were in our twenties I swear it seemed like every third male person claimed to be “part Cherokee on grandmother’s side.” Always “Cherokee”, always “grandmother’s side”, and which grandmother never specified. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/7 "2014-02-25T07:22:32Z")
Okay, I’ll fess up. Because of the the whole “Cherokee Grandmother” cliche, I almost never reveal my own Noble Red Man lineage. My mother’s father was half-Mexican, half Yaqui. He was a very handsome man, but (this will sound a little cruel) his sister, whom I was extremely close with until she died in her 80’s, looked VERY much like the famous photo of Geronimo scowling while kneeling with his rifle. Anyway, my claim violates the grandmother rule, and plain old Yaqui obviously doesn’t carry the same presumed romantic impact as Cherokee. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/8 "2014-02-25T14:35:22Z")
> [@GameHat](#): > > Heh, yeah, I did 23andme last year. Interesting stuff. Also bought a kit for my mom - turns out she really is my biological mother 😉 > > European > 99.6% > > Northern European: > 14.7% British & Irish > 1.9% French & German > 1.4% Scandinavian > 0.4% Finnish > 52.0% Nonspecific Northern European > > Southern European: > 1.5% Nonspecific Southern European > 0.6% Eastern European > > 27.0% Nonspecific European > > Sub-Saharan African > 0.1% Nonspecific Sub-Saharan African > > 0.2% Unassigned > > …so I guess I may be among the whitest guys you know? 😛 FTR, am an American, Chicagoland. I also have a few family members that also like to claim Native American roots. If so, doesn’t appear to be in my genes at least. > > I also have a really German surname, guess that falls under non-specific Northern European? I had expected way more on the “German” percentage. I think I’m whiter than you 😛 Mine came back as 100% European Northern European 34.8% French and German 31.1% British and Irish 1.5% Finnish 28.9% Non-specific Northern European Southern European .09% Iberian .03% Non-specific Southern European 1.6 percent non-specific European Less than .01 percent unknown and NOTHING outside of Europe, And I did order in time to get the medical results but I wasn’t incredibly impressed - frankly I can see why that got shut down. It was good to know that I didn’t have some of the more well-established genetic/health condition connections but a lot of the health risk stuff seemed really specious…and I had to spend about a week listening to my healthy buffed out 19 year old godson going on about his increased risk of gout, which kind of cracked me up. Oddly enough, I didn’t have any increased risk for the conditions I actually have. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/9 "2014-02-25T15:05:51Z")
I’ve never heard of 23 & Me, but I did do the [Ancestry.com](http://Ancestry.com) DNA Test last year. Europe 97% ``` Ireland 49% Great Britain 21% Scandinavia 10% Italy/Greece 8% Europe West 7% ``` ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/10 "2014-02-25T16:17:24Z")
I was thinking I might try this, but before I do, what would happen if it came back non-terrestrial? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/11 "2014-02-25T16:55:53Z")
This is where I found out that my great-grandfather who emigrated from Germany in 1859 was Ashkenazi and therefore probably of Jewish ancestry. No evidence that he practiced Judaism, or even that he was aware of it. I also have large amounts “non-specific” - 46.6% non-specific Northern European, and 28.8% non-specific European, for a total of 75.4% non-specific. I found these amounts rather discouraging in terms of finding my ancestry, but I assume this means that those guys really moved around a lot. No generational stay-at-homes in my family background! I also have 0.1% Yakut, which is from the far NE reaches of Russia (think of Yakutsk on the Risk™ game board). Possibly from the Mongol invasions of eastern Europe? Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/12 "2014-02-25T17:58:34Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > What does Nonspecific Northern European mean? Are they not able to be more specific due to the technology or our knowledge at this time or what? 36.8% and 52.0% are some pretty big numbers I think. > > What are you looking for when you do this? Doesn’t it just confirm what you already know? “Yeah, we’re white guys of English ancestry.” Honestly did it for fun. I was interested in the Native American bit - really got my mom’s attention since she was the one that was positive of a grandfather of questionable ancestry. My father (and his mom) always talked about our German heritage. We had already killed most of that by doing some old-fashioned family tree work - this helped cement that line. We knew about the Scandinavian side (lots of FOB Dane and Swede in recent history). The other fun one was my wife comparing herself to her sister. Since DNA is NOT identical among siblings, it was fun to see how they differed as well. I am going to pay for a kit for my brother, and then get kits for my two boys. I posted the “speculative” report for fun. -Erik ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/13 "2014-02-25T19:09:45Z")
> [@Algher](#): > > It killed the “we are part Cherokee” comments from one family member… > 0.1%: Native American But you ARE part indian, it says so right there! Could be Cherokee… I haven’t done the DNA tests, but my maternal grandfather’s mother was definitely Cherokee. My grandfather had the prototypical Indian nose (Google an image of “buffalo nickel reverse” for an example), no chest hair and very little facial hair. 2 generations later I still can’t grow a beard… ---
**Author:** ![mkl12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@mkl12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkl12)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/14 "2014-02-26T00:38:23Z")
99.9% European Northern European 6.3% French & German 2.5% British & Irish 0.4% Scandinavian 79.1% Nonspecific Northern European 11.6% Nonspecific European 0.1% Unassigned I had hoped for some more interesting influences. But I was especially disappointed because of the huge nonspecific percentage. As far as I can tell through genealogy research (3 to 6 generations), all my ancestors were from Germany. So I suspect that a lot of that nonspecific chunk will turn out to be German when the data gets more refined. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/15 "2014-08-04T00:57:54Z")
100% European Northern European 37.5% French & German 12.5% British & Irish 7.4% Scandinavian 0.0% Finnish 29.1% Broadly Northern European Southern European 2.0% Balkan 0.9% Italian 0.0% Sardinian 0.0% Iberian 0.8% Broadly Southern European 0.7% Eastern European 0.1% Ashkenazi 9.2% Broadly European I actually found the medical information interesting, if not vastly useful. At least I had no weird or unexpected markers. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/16 "2014-08-04T03:11:16Z")
With a standard level of confidence, I am 99.8% European of which These percentages are Northern European 12.4% is British & Irish 3.5% is French & German .3% is Finnish 55.9% is broadly Northern European These percentages are Southern European \< .1% is Sardinian 2.6% is broadly Southern European 1.1% is Eastern European and 23.8% is Broadly European and finally, .2% is unassigned I was just talking to someone today who has just gotten his 23andme results, and he says there are lots of differences between those and his Ancestry DNA results. Does anyone know why that might be? Also, any other U51b1b1 haplogroups out there? I wonder if any of you are on my relatives list and I don’t know it. My daughter is 99.9% European. with 93.2% of that being Northern European. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/17 "2014-08-04T03:28:51Z")
**Zyanthia** , so here ya go. It’s that 0.1% of unassigned. They just don’t want to say non-human. 😃 > [@mkl12](#): > > 99.9% European > > Northern European > 6.3% French & German > 2.5% British & Irish > 0.4% Scandinavian > 79.1% Nonspecific Northern European > > 11.6% Nonspecific European > > 0.1% Unassigned > > I had hoped for some more interesting influences. But I was especially disappointed because of the huge nonspecific percentage. As far as I can tell through genealogy research (3 to 6 generations), all my ancestors were from Germany. So I suspect that a lot of that nonspecific chunk will turn out to be German when the data gets more refined. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/18 "2014-08-04T11:53:55Z")
Here’s mine: 96% European (total) -46.5% Ashkenazi Jewish -17% British Isles/Irish -21.1% Non-specific Northern European -11.3% Non-specific European 3.1% Sub-Saharan African (total) -2.4% West African -0.7% Non-specific Sub-Saharan African \<0.1% Native American/East Asian 0.9% Unassigned I seem to be the most ‘colorful’ of a pretty white crowd so far, while still being (mostly) white. Interestingly, my dad’s side of the family (from the southern USA, and the source of the African ancestry) long held a story that we were part Native American. My dad’s father was particularly dark skinned. I think it’s pretty likely that this story was concocted many years ago to explain any ‘unusual’ features from the African ancestry. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/19 "2014-08-04T17:02:16Z")
Damn, y’all are White! 🙂 80.9% Sub-Saharan African -74.9% West African -3.1% Central & South African -3.0% Broadly Sub-Saharan African 14.8% European Northern European -2.9% British & Irish -6.2% Broadly Northern European Southern European -0.3% Iberian -1.1% Broadly Southern European -0.5% Ashkenazi -3.9% Broadly European 3.5% East Asian & Native American -1.7% Native American -1.6% Southeast Asian -0.2% Broadly East Asian & Native American 0.8% Unassigned ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171/20 "2014-08-04T17:31:52Z")
Very cool mix, **Hippy Hollow**! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-you-23-and-me-data/682171.md?page=2)