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The Ross Surname Project aims to identify distinct Ross family lines and extend them using DNA testing and traditional genealogy.

The Ross Surname Project at FamilyTreeDNA has identified over 40 distinct Ross lines using Y-DNA test results from male Ross descendants. The goal of this project is to use these results, along with results from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and MyHeritage, etc., to sort out the genealogies of each of these Ross families.

Ross is a surname with a deep history in the British Isles. It is most often associated with Fearchar Mac an t-Sagairt, the original Earl of Ross of his line and patriarch of Clan Ross. They were a powerful highland family whose descendants married into the family of Robert the Bruce and Robert II of Scotland. No project participants have been confirmed as descendants of Fearchar, therefore, his Y-DNA signature remains unknown. A primary goal of the project is the confirmation of his lineage using Y-DNA testing.

There were also Ros families, including Ross of Halkhead, Roos of Helmesley, and Rose of Kilravock, whose ancestors are thought to have came to southern England with William the Conqueror. These families are said to take their name from the town of Ros in Normandy. Hugh Rose, 1st of Kilravock, was the patriarch of Clan Rose. Several project participants can trace their lines back to his direct descendant Hugh Rose, 8th of Kilravock. Another primary goal of the project is to identify descendants of these other Ros families and confirm their connection to the Kilravock descendants.

DNA testing tells us nothing without reliable, well-sourced family trees. Many trees posted to the internet connect back to the original Earls of Ross, even though Y-DNA results are telling us that descendants in these trees are not a match to each other. This requires us to take a fresh look at these trees by returning to the original documents. Therefore, an additional goal of this project is to collect & document all the original source material that was used to construct these trees before they were uploaded to the internet and the source citations were lost. Taking a second look at these trees might give us the opportunity to identify previously unidentified family connections and connect back even further to previous generations.

Where to start

• I am a Ross descendant who has done DNA testing at AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage, etc.
• I am a Ross male who has done Y-DNA testing at FamilyTreeDNA
• I am a matrilineal descendant of a Ross female who has done mtDNA testing
• I am a Ross descendant who has not yet done DNA testing

DNA testing

DNA testing for Ross descendants

• Comparing DNA testing companies
• Joining the Ross Ancestor Project at GEDmatch
• Ross ancestors confirmed using DNA test results from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage, etc.

Y-DNA testing for male Ross descendants

• Ross Surname Project at FamilyTreeDNA
• Ross lines determined by Y-DNA testing

mtDNA testing for matrilineal Ross ancestors

• Ross Surname Project at FamilyTreeDNA
• Female Ross ancestors confirmed by mtDNA testing

Using this website

This website contains articles on:

• Ross ancestors
• DNA results

It contains entries from common sources:

• Books
• Websites
• Library catalogs

It also functions as a database:

• Search for articles based on properties assigned to them
• Click Browse properties from the Tools menu at the bottom of an article

Get help and contribute

• Each article has an accompanying Discussion tab
  • These discussions are used to ask questions or suggest edits
  • In order to participate in a discussion, it is necessary to create a User account

Join the Ross Surname Project Facebook group.

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