Ways to Trace Your Viking Ancestry

[@BlaineKK37]

Thank you for pointing out my same concerns with these DNA test companies. Nefarious to say the least

[@imnedmonton]

My matrilineal ancestry is Scandinavian. I'm Canadian so I guess that makes me a candi-scandi. Kidding. Stay safe and be well. Love from Canada. ♥

[@ramseydoon8277]

Scandinadian. Canavian. Canascandinavadian.

[@wolf.eye._-]

Scandi-candi

[@Dana-h3q]

Love your videos. My family is from Norway, Sweden, England and Switzerland. We live in USA now.

[@zalomann]

I spent a few days on the "myheritage" site and got results on my direct paternal line thanks to the church records and other people's work on that site. Results back to the 1400's. My earliest paternal ancestor lived in the same village I do now. I still live on the farm my maternal family has had since the 1300's, in a smaller town in Hustadvika, Northwest Norway. Both my last names from parents are descriptions of the type of landscape where the family farms are located.

[@central_scrutinizr]

That is so beautiful. I envy you!

[@candykane4271]

That is so very interesting!

[@ColoradoStreaming]

I used Family Search and my Mom's side was easy as there were records back to Aurich and Kessel, Germany to the 1500s. Finding my Dad's Czech side was much harder. I was able to finally find a church record book from the region I thought they were from based on the marriage records after coming to the USA. I had to scroll page by page for hours until I finally hit on it. It was a pretty cool feeling and I got everything from the town to the house number etc.

[@wolf.eye._-]

Wow. I stopped the video to read this one. Fascinating stuff. ♡

[@pauladuncanadams1750]

One of the best ways to look for living relatives is to find the area near where your family thinks they come from and look for any similar names-spelling can vary. Find out if any are farmers. Farmers tend to keep the land in the family for many generations. Those living near are probably also related.

[@zenz0ha472]

This channel has that balance of academic and magical, and I just love it so much 🌸

[@a.randolph8112]

Fortunately for our family we have a (Norwegian) heritage book that goes all the way back to 1743 thanks to a great aunt who put it all together. Our family name is Holten in the Heidal / Vaage regions. The name changed to Hollin when my great grandparents came through Ellis Island in 1907. I'm now updating / digitizing our heritage book for my nephews and nieces. It's been fun looking through all the information even though many of the documents are in Norwegian.

[@gcanaday1]

My family has a book, too. We've been in North America for about 400 years and it has genealogical record from my generation back to the mid 1700s.

[@pauladuncanadams1750]

​@@gcanaday1Ours too, but we're Northern Ireland.

[@niiightshadeee]

Amazing advice about the mainstream DNA test kits… people should be very wary. And thank you for making this video! I am lucky enough to have an extensive family tree that has been preserved of my Danish heritage and have knowledge of relations to Danish royalty hundreds of years ago. My grandparents and great parents have always claimed to know of Viking ancestry as well, but I haven’t been able to get concrete proof as their is not a ton of accessible genealogy info online in relation to Danish Vikings’ lineage. I’ve been at a standstill with this search for a while now, so the methods described in this video are greatly appreciated! Your content is truly incredible, and I’m so grateful for all that you share with us. Merry Christmas my friend!

[@gadpivs]

The Vikings weren't some magical group of people whose DNA and culture were somehow separate from the rest of Germania. If you have English, German, Dutch, Swiss, or northern French ancestry, you're just as Germanic as someone with Danish or Norwegian ancestry. People worshiped Odin and went into berserker trances during Roman times, too, and those people went on to become part of countries like England and Germany. You don't have "Viking DNA" just because one particular group who has more or less the same DNA as Germans or Anglo-Saxons resisted Christianity for slightly longer than the others and used longboats to go raiding hundreds of years later. Frisian, Frankish, Alemannic, Angle, Saxon, Bavarian, etc. DNA is from the same genetic cluster, the languages are related, and the religion and way of life were originally the same. When the Vikings first landed at Lindisfarne, they were raiding the great great grandchildren of the Germanic pagans from centuries earlier who had close marriage ties with Scandinavia, the same artwork on their helmets, the same myths, etc. In fact, your average Englishman along the east coasts of the British Isles, whether in London or Yorkshire, has up to fifty percent of their DNA coming from an original homeland in Denmark or southern Sweden prior to the start of the Migration Period.

[@Kain81023]

As a 100% pure blood Scandinavian, I feel like you're coping hard. The people of old Germania were only partly: Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria. / More central and eastern europe than western. These people can to some extent claim Germanic, but NOT Scandinavian, as us Scandinavians evolved our "race" and culture seperate from the rest of Europe. It's true that some of the Viking traditions originate in old Germania, but that does NOT mean that every person who has some Germanic blood can claim Scandinavian. You also makes it sound like those who tests positive for a high percentage of Scandinavian ancestry who resides in the UK have so much Viking ancestry because their ancestors in (Denmark & Sweden) migrated there before the Vikings arrived, which is just laughable. If that were the case it would say Germany on the DNA test, not Sweden or Denmark. The people of UK who have Scandinavian ancestry have so much Scandinavian blood because they got absolutely dominated over the course of centuries by the Vikings, not by peaceful migration before the Viking age.

[@gadpivs]

​@@Kain81023 There's so much wrong here that I don't even know where to begin. First, as for this idea that native Scandinavians somehow have much more "Viking" DNA than the other Germanic territories: DNA tests have proven that Icelanders are up to 50% Celtic because of a massive intaking of Irish women as brides and concubines during initial colonization. Along the coasts of Norway, there is a decent amount of Portugese DNA due to naval trade in recent centuries. To the north, Sami ancestry is quite high. Scandinavians did not evolve a "separate" culture from the rest of Europe. By the early 900's, they were already converting to Christianity, particularly in Denmark. They heavily intermarried in Russia among the native Slavic population. And in Normandy, the vast majority of DNA is Frankish, Gaulish, or Breton in nature, with only a small portion coming from Danes from the first generation of settlers. Sure, in the UK, up to 50-60% of DNA even in heavily Anglo-Saxon areas might be of Celtic origin, but in places like Frisia and Lower Saxony in northern Germany, there is actually more Scandinavian DNA than in Iceland, for example. These are areas with strong cultural ties between the Frisians and Saxons on the one hand, and the Danes and Norwegians on the other, with little input from Romano-Celts, Gauls, or other Celtic groups. The reason for why Germanic ancestry implies original ancestry from Scandinavia is because that's the ancestral homeland of all Germanic peoples, and the DNA has changed little since the Iron Age, even if it has been "mixed" quite heavily (in all regions) over the centuries. So the actual "Germanic" component of the DNA is the same thing as what we might think of as a Scandinavian component, because that's just where these people came from. The Visigoths were a sub-branch of Goths, or Gutes, related to Beowulf's Geats. The Langobards came from southeast Sweden before winding up way down in Italy. The Vandals, Rugi, and Heruli all have their origins there, as well. Beowulf frequently makes mention of marriages and kinship connections between Geats, Swedes, Danes, and Wuffings, who later migrated as Wulfings to East Anglia in England with their Angle relatives, where the poem was preserved. The Saxon rebel leader was the nephew of a Danish petty king at the time of the building of the Dannevirke. The list goes on and on. Odin did not exist in a vacuum. There was Wotan, Woden, Wodan, and Godan for a reason. Your point about Viking ancestry in the UK is utter nonsense. I can link you to specific papers that break down DNA results in the UK by region. Whether East Anglia, the east midlands, or Kent, there is DNA categorized as North German, general German, Swedish, or Western Europe. In these studies, it is pointed out that it is almost impossible to tell the difference between North German and Swedish, and you have to combine the two groupings to account for both Anglo-Saxons and Danes. In other words, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Frisians, and Danes are almost genetically indistinguishable in these ancestral populations. This idea that English people were "dominated" by Vikings is also nonsense. The Vikings did not arrive in the British Isles until 793, and even then things were slow going until larger, more organized armies gradually appeared with greater frequency going into the 9th century. These later Scandinavian migrations, particularly where the Danelaw eventually emerged, account for anywhere between 6 and 10 percent of English ancestry, depending on region. The other 30-40% of "Scandinavian" DNA in England is Anglo-Saxon in origin, and would have started appearing in the early fifth century, many hundreds of years earlier. This is the vast majority of DNA that is marked as either North German or Swedish in the studies. Again, we can thank the Dannevirke for this separation between "Scandinavia" and continental Germania, and before Widukind's day and the campaigns of Charlemagne, there was no clear separation between Germany and Denmark on either side of the wall. Jutes and Angles were geographically much closer throughout history to Danes and Swedes than they were to Saxons. But all maintained regular contact until the official subjugation and conversion of the Saxons. The East Anglians migrated from the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany and parts of Jutland, bringing kin with them from Geatish and Danish tribes. They spoke the same proto-Germanic dialects, before the slight splitting between the North Sea and Northern branches occurred. They worshipped the same gods. The Sutton Hoo helm from the 6th century with twin dragon Odinic warriors dancing in ecstasy is further proof of this, as it was constructed at roughly the same time as similar armor was being made during the Vendel period in Sweden, with identical iconography. You are a troll who doesn't have a clue. End of story.

[@niiightshadeee]

Wait why are either of you replying to my comment with this…? I’m not saying Vikings were some magical group of people whose DNA is this or that as both of you have said. I am purely sharing my understanding of my own personal family tree and lineage. Our ties to the royal family in the 1600’s and 1700’s is an absolutely confirmed fact. My family has also as far back as I can tell in our genealogical records had the understanding that we were descended from a Viking community. I am lucky enough to have extensive and detailed records of my family’s ancestry, and yet I’ve not been able to find much on our direct tie to Viking peoples in Denmark. That’s all I was saying! 🙃

[@bethysbarn]

Thank you so much for this! I’m in the UK and expected my dna to show like 1% Scandinavian etc dna and I actually got a large chunk from Sweden, Norway, Finland and a tiny bit of Iceland as well as Europe and Britain and I spent months really deep diving both sides of my family and on my moms side we have a ridiculous amount of nobility and huge names from English and Scottish history and I come from the sister of Richard iiis which ended up back up to frickin king Rollo of all people! I expected a dead end or some peasant line that was impossible to track and I honestly was floored and I still can’t believe it months later, I keep thinking I got it wrong and recheck the sources and it amazes me, I’m quite closely related to princess Diana and the Spencer’s and all sorts, it’s absolutely mental to me, it’s so fascinating to be able to trace back so far, I’m quite grateful to have such upper class ancestors so it’s easier to track but still 😳😬 I was a child with almost white hair it was so blonde and I have blue eyes so that’s so cool it’s still coming through the dna so far down the line!

[@Clive-xs6ci]

A very interesting video, my mother recently carried extensive research into our family history and it turned out that our ancestors on both the paternal and maternal sides of the family where at the battle of Hastings. On my maternal side I’m related to Roger Bigod, a Norman Knight who became the first Earl of Norfolk. Through him I can trace my ancestry back to 732 in Norway. On my Father’s side I’m related to a Danish mercenary who fought for a Knight and was awarded land in Lincolnshire. I took a DNA test after we discovered this information and it showed me a being a large percentage Norwegian / Icelandic and Germanic. Interestingly I showed up with 8% each of Scottish and Irish - I’ve got no idea where that came from

[@Disordahz]

All my life, people kept saying I looked Scandinavian. It's even been the theme of various nicknames I've had since the 90's. I never understood it until I traced my family heritage. Both my paternal and maternal families stem from Norman royals who teamed up with William the Conqueror in 1066. I thought it was just because I was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed metalhead with a strong interest in paganism. Hah! My version of Me started making more sense after that. I've since migrated to Europe where I belong. My son will be born this winter.

[@gadpivs]

Danish/Norwegian DNA in Normandy was quickly reduced because the original Viking settlers didn't bring brides with them, and married local women. Their children then went on to marry other men and women who had 0% Danish/Norwegian DNA, and so on. So most of Norman DNA is more likely to be Frankish, Burgundian, or something non-Germanic like native French/Breton (from Brittany), Roman, Gaul, etc. That's not to say that you don't have Viking ancestors. But this idea that Vikings are somehow genetically distinct from anyone with Germanic ancestry is based in pop culture. You're just as likely to get all those traits you listed from English ancestors, who would have originally been Woden-worshiping bear warriors from Angle, Saxon, and Jutish tribes. Or German ancestors, who were the same from the Suebi, Alemanni, Bavari, Franks, Saxons, and a myriad other groups. Or from Dutch, Belgian, or Swiss ancestors, who descend from the Alemanni, Franks, and Frisians. Most of northwestern Europe is heavily dominated by DNA that originates in Scandinavia, and at least half of these people were converted to Christianity surprisingly late, in some cases just a few years before the start of the Viking Age (Frisians and Saxons). So that's not nearly enough time for there to be some hard barrier in the DNA between, say, Denmark and the Netherlands or Germany. There is no such thing as "Viking DNA." The Frisii, Goths, and many others used to harry and shout old Germanic battle cries in the name of Odin just like the rest.

[@UltimaThulean]

I have traced my ancestral past back to the winnili, better revered as the langobard, as well as the visigoths, and the Angles..which I presume were in the Schleiswig Holstein region, I beg correction is this isn't correct. I love your channel, and Megi odin blessi thig!

[@He_Grows]

Welcome home

[@FrenchViking466]

These are the exact reasons why i have never taken such dna tests. But i know a lot about my mothers side of the family, our history goes back to the 1400s, French nobility from Normandy. We still have our titles and our coat of arms. My Fathers side come from the north in Scandinivia, unfortunately i don't know much about those ancestors. Love your video's.

[@Never-mind1919]

I’ve been working on my family tree for over 30 years. I have both my mother and my father’s side traced back to the 1600’s. Took a DNA test and had to erase my fathers fathers entire side of my family tree, since DNA shows we’re not related. History and paper records don’t mean anything unless your DNA shows those records and history actually belong to you.

[@ElricX]

The Norwegian on my mother's side is pretty well documented. They came from Bergen. Norwegian was spoken in my grandparents home. My father's side was pretty sketchy. One of my sisters made progress and connected with some long lost relatives. Turns out I'm 50% Scottish. Our Scandinavian genetics are pretty apparent. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and I have a red beard.

[@hotrodjones74]

I'm basically the same, but half Danish and half Norwegian from my mother's side. My grandfather's parents were pure Scandinavian. I believe that most people of some mixed blood or ancestry will more strongly identify with their most prominent ancestral DNA background. I honestly don't identify with my Scottish ancestry. I dig Braveheart and would like to visit there. But yeah, this kinda stuff you can feel in your bones.

[@jeffbrund]

I was adopted so had no choice but to do DNA checks (three different ones). My folks are small but I’m 6’3” 250 pounds with facial features you described and bright blue eyes. Results…Northwest Europe, England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and Northern France so I’m assuming I have “Viking” genes. Great video keep up the good work. 👍😄

[@c.antoniojohnson7114]

You are Nordic, brother.

[@jeffbrund]

@@c.antoniojohnson7114 I’m not the brightest but I’m thinkin so lol. 👍

[@daneaxe6465]

Those Vikings really got around Europe. When you really dig into Europe's history back to 55 B.C. or so there was a number of huge migrations that crossed Europe. Groups like the Goths, Cimbri and Teutons made incredibly long journeys. The Cimbri and Teutons meet Roman forces in far northern Italy and defeated the legions in several battles. Then they wandered to west but decided to go back to north Italy. But Rome had gotten its act together and handed a decisive defeat to the wanders. Cimbri were likely from southern Sweden with Teutons from northern Germany. The remnants of the two tribes assimilated into other areas and "vanished". Among historians/researchers the Norse were very good at mixing in to populations they "moved" to Normandy is a good example. Most Dutch people will have some Scandinavian in their blood, although some are crushed and some get angry when they find out they're not 100% Dutch. Actually there's no such thing as Dutch DNA. Blame it on the Romans and Vikings.

[@cherbinsted2378]

My great grandfather was Jorgen Anton Erichsen from Drobak, Norway. He was a sailor, who jumped ship in Australia to pursue his fortune on the goldfields. Shame he didn’t find the mother lode.

[@stigc.minkstuen]

it is Drøbak! no place called "Drobag" in Norway!

[@cherbinsted2378]

@@stigc.minkstuen Yes you’re correct. Slip of the fingers typing.

[@Schmorgus]

Norse and sami here. I love my super-Nordic heritage :) _(Thanks to a famous relative, I managed to get names "before rural" christianity)_

[@MosaicRose99]

This was so exciting to watch. I have family names ending in "sen" "berg" also names like Lund and Hansen, and many more. Some of my family went from Scandinavia into the UK, many came from Schleswig-Holstein and other places. I would love to really start doing some deeper research.

[@morgainedepolloc4161]

Thank you for this video Thor. I have been researching for years and everything you say is true, based on what I know!!! For those in the US -- please remember that there was a Swedish colony near Wilmington Delaware, established about 1638. It was called Ft. Christina. Look it up to find out more about it, and it does have some info on names of people that arrived in America at that time. The colony was abandoned, but some stayed. I was eventually able to trace my ancestor back to Kopparberg Sweden. Luckily the resources in Kopparberg are online and the people (friends) there have done a good job of preserving records and making info available. It takes some work, but it can be possible! My little known Kruze ancestor from Kopparberg is more precious to me in many ways, even more than my noble line (which yes, does go back to Rollo). I imagine him being very smart and strong -- staying here after the colony was abandoned. He would have traveled south and west based on my records. Eventually settling in the "wilds" of Western NC -- marrying into English, German, and American Indian families. (BTW Thor, part of my noble line also traces to Charlemagne --- so part pagan, part Christian -- appropriate, since my Mormon mother left the church and married my atheist father!! it is true!! 🤣)

[@Thomas-oo9lu]

I fortunately, have a unique surname, it is Norman, carried into Brythonic and Celt 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 in the United Kingdom. It was and has been changed in spelling but is still spelled the same way. It means "writer of the testimonials ". We have a coat of arms, and a physical trait of early age silver hair, beards and sapphire eyes, and a strange liking for colder weather. And my mother's maiden was a very prominent Germanic name

[@trond345]

Love you videos man, regards for a Norwegian

[@sharons.2587]

Thanks for the tips. Right now Im only back to the early 1800s when looking into my great great grandfather. So investigating records might be on the agenda when visiting Norway.

[@Chercheure_Indépendante]

12:45 yep William the Conqueror who descended from Rollo, I have videos about this on my channel

[@bht96]

I know that the original people who went to America (New Sweden) in 1641. Hans Mansson and Ella Stille. Other than that, I have 50% German and Frisian (mother’s side) plus about 30% from the British Isles. I swear to God, I have been haunted in my dreams as long as I can remember about “Going North”. I’ve lived in Singapore and Florida until I was 16 years old. I remember such a powerful feeling of not being where I belong. I think that my ancestors want me to go back to the old country. I feel so comfortable when I visit Seattle. The climate there is comparable to Northern Europe. I live in Texas now and cannot stand the heat. Before I even gotten my DNA tested, I had this fascination about moving to Stockholm (which is where Ella Stille was originally from!!!).

[@TC-cr2oy]

My grandma came over from Norway in 1934, her family were farmers. Their last name, Kvernplassen (I think I spelled that correctly) came from the farm they are from and still bears the same name today. I'm not sure what or if they had a last name before that. I never felt the need to try and connect my ancestors to vikings but maybe that's because I have so much family there still. I do love you're channel though and learning more about the history.

[@ketle369]

Your last name means “Mill or grindstone place” in Norwegian.

[@TC-cr2oy]

Yes, it was a mill for a long time before they began farming there. I'm a little surprised they didn't change their name to Miller when they came here. Instead, they went with the tried and true Olson. @@ketle369

[@Lettersnumbers_1]

I took one several years ago and got quite a surprise. I knew I was nearly entirely Russian on my dad's side, but on my mom's I learned I was mostly Germanic, Swedish, a bit of Scottish, and a tiny bit Slavic (that actually comes from my dad's side, I double checked the info) Today (12/21) I uploaded my genetics into my true ancestry and they pinpointed my closest ancient ancestors as the Svear. Don't quite know how accurate that site is regarding DNA info, however. Definitely pretty cool.

[@kyna777]

This is such an interesting video! Agreed...do not trust the DNA BS tests! I am fortunate enough to have royalty in my family tree and as you say, am able to trace my lineage way back beyond even the vikings. And I am honored by the Vikings, Saxons, and royal houses that I am connected to. I can even find pictures of some of the castles they lived in, the banners they carried, and the family crests as well. But what I have discovered in tracing it back is just how interconnected it all is. The farther back you go, the more you can see how the blood lines intermingled. Because the vikings traveled so much, their bloodlines are scattered all across many regions (as you said). And many of them married into royalty. Their blood is mixed with many cultures. And it amazes me just how diverse it all is! But I am Proud to call my self Viking! It also seems fitting to my personality! Thanks you so much for sharing this information!! P.S. I Love your store! I am Penny.... the one who buys so many things from you! You have the best Authentic items!

[@missa2855]

The closest thing to royalty I have is Danish aristocracy banging his mistress full of babies in the 1700s. But given the rest of my family are Danish farmers, living in Denmark, we all have danish names and look Danish, I find it pretty likely that I may in fact be a little Danish.

[@dianeteeter6650]

I have a Hans Hanson from Bergen. All his boys took the last name Bergen.

[@bealornobeal5538]

I’ve been enjoying exploring your channel for a bit now. This one really inspired me to dig into my family tree some. Found out my mom’s side is Irish / English and my dad’s side is Italian / German / Swedish. I’m still researching before doing a dna test, but am excited to find out more.

[@ThePacificNorseWest87]

My last name is Bain. It’s Irish/Scottish and it was a lot of fun to learn my family history.

[@c.antoniojohnson7114]

I don't refer to Nordic people as Vikings,a Viking is a upperclass pirate and raider. That's why they had high quality weapons made of steel.

[@VilhjalmrVilhjalmrsson]

US here. My Y-haplo is R-CTS4179 (R1a1). Lots of MacDonalds, MacDougalls, and Norwegians on my Y match list.

[@EllenDahl-sp1sw]

I have my family tree, was done by an aunt of mine..I have family still living in Karmoy west norway, hoping to visit one day. Thanks for the info , have learned so much from you! Blessed be

[@susandavidson5357]

Thanks for the interesting information! I knew that a large part of my heritage is Scottish, but mostly 5 or 6 generations ago (I'm Canadian). Over the years, I've met several Norwegians at conferences, who very quickly ask me when my family left Norway. My hair was a lot like yours (but thicker) before it went white. I'm 175 cm, with very fair skin. When I said Scotland, the Norwegians replied with "Ah, the Vikings!"

[@nkley1]

Very informative. My paternal Grandmother was a Hetland of the former Hetland municipality of Norway, which included Stavanger, where my father was born. My paternal Grandfather was a Simonsen, “son of Simon”, both names representing the two examples you explained of how last names were formed. My father had the Viking look…blond, blue-eyed, Superman physique….very Viking like. Great video, Sir.

[@kodibrown7765]

I was getting so frustrated that so many lines of mine stopped in the 1600s. I got as far as the late 1400s with one line. Thanks for explaining why that is so!

[@sinistersaint]

Hello, I'm a Jensen here - one of the most common names that has proven impossible to trace. I only know my ancestry is mainly Norwegian and Danish; my great grandparents immigrated from the southernmost region of those countries in the late 1800's, but they sadly did not pass their family histories to their children. I look forward to using your information to potentially puzzle together my lineage! Thank you as always for your content, Skal!

[@HAMMER_2.2]

Hello fellow Jensen

[@louiseedwards29]

Fascinating stuff, thank you. Happy Christmas from New Zealand 🙂

[@JosephWilsonProductions]

Clan Gunn here in America.. Yes you are very right about genetics... We only need look in the mirror to know.. Great video. Thanks.

[@maryannrosie6054]

Kirkebok records are not that difficult to find. A lot of the Norwegian ones are online and are free to look at. You do need to know which parish your family is from though. Finding Scottish records is not necessarily all that easy in Caithness as there is a 1+ Generation gap in them.

[@theeducatedredneck4144]

My Grandmother's name was Rigmor Mortensen. She was born in America, her parents were directly from Denmark 🇩🇰 My Great Grandfather went by George in America, but his name was Ragnar.

[@z3phyr666]

one of my neighbors is finnish and they have a book of records of family birth and death dates that go back to the 750 or so. the book itself of course is a lot newer but was updated every few years personally, my great grandparents came from norway (grandma's family) and sweden (grandpa's family) my grandmother's last name is vik which is cool. we found a bunch of stuff about our family which was fascinating, including my great grandparents' marriage certificate

[@CelticHound357]

The Mormon church has records galore, on just about every family in this country. "U.S.A." A very good place to start. There, and the counties in which your grandparents were born and or married. Family bibles...

[@ColoradoStreaming]

The Mormons run all the genealogical sites. It all started from their internal record keeping for their "Baptism of the Dead" practice. Then they realized they can make money off all the data they gathered.

[@brendan9868]

I don’t know for sure if I have any Scandinavian blood. I know I’m Welsh, Native American and with a splash of Czech and Sicilian. My Grandfather from the Welsh line had found a guy in the past that allegedly traced us back to Duke Richard the Fearless of Normandy, who was the great grandfather of King William and the grandson of Rollo. The legitimacy of that though is a bit iffy. From there he tracked that line eventually ending up with minor holdings in Wales, which was actually true. For a while we were minor nobility in Wales and some heirlooms passed down confirm that. Regardless of if there’s actually any Norman link there or if it’s just purely Welsh, it’s still a very cool line. Celts are badasses in their own rights and the welsh deserve credit for keeping one of the last remaining Celtic languages alive despite attempts from the English to suppress it.

[@Cheesus4jesus]

I don't mind them selling my DNA cuz they're just trying to create the perfect human LMAO

[@izzyjones7108]

My grandma had an extensive genealogy done. My 1st traceable ancestor was Rolf The Viking. Also got some ❤druids in there. And I'm very in touch with it

[@gregoryleevandall1880]

Ty for continuing your amazing videos my friend …. I hope life is treating you very well 😎 ✌️ ❤️

[@luminator8888]

Lewis Ramsvig greetings and thanx

[@singingtrees121]

Luckily my great great grandmother was a Gädda and that family line has been well documented back to the 1309s

[@KristiStraw]

Thank you, this was very helpful. I'm lucky in that a lot of my ancestors were nobility and royalty so it has been easy to trace back to actual vikings as far as there are records. However, my closer Scandinavian and Northern German ancestroy has been much harder to trace, so I really appreciate this information.

[@porkypile]

Oldest people I know of from my family were born in the 1580's, but Im 100% certain my family lived in Sweden, Norway, Denmark during the Viking age as well. It's beyond clear that Im North Germanic seeing how all my relatives have looked. The genes are obvious.

[@slimsautomotiverepair8714]

great video my man love the format and unbiases peace and calm

[@jansdotterart]

Excellent video as always! Tusen tack! :)

[@davideide778]

Thank you for putting together a basis on researching Scandinavian ancestry. As an amateur genealogist, I have traced my Grandfather's birth to the Eide farm on Holsnoy Island, Southeast of Bergen. My Grandfather and his sister settled in Minnesota, USA. Through my cousin's research, I have found a genetic link to King Charlemagne. Also, a link to King Harald Fairhair. It is on my bucket list to visit the island where relatives still live.

[@candykane4271]

Minnesota Is full of Viking DNA!

[@Mr.Skeleton.]

The furthest back I was able to trace my lineage to is a male skeleton found to be a fantastic warrior buried with grave goods. He was discovered in modern day Thuringia who was part of the Thuringii tribe in north Germany. It’s amazing!

[@CGH250]

My son and grandson showed a small amount of Scadanavian/Viking ancestry from my husbands side, not mine. I didn’t realize people found this to be so favorable!

[@c.antoniojohnson7114]

Facebook and Reddit Pagans are a fascinating group,i like your style. Happy Yule to all my Nordic brothers and sisters.

[@alekzi4032]

I have mostly Västgötskt ancestry, but also a few further back family branches stretching out into Värmländskt and Närkiskt ancestry as well.

[@billmclaurin6959]

My YDNA signature is I1-S12289 and I was born with blonde hair. So I must be a son of Ragnar, but I went bald as I got older. So maybe I am actually a son of Balder.

[@pauladuncanadams1750]

🤭 Te-he.

[@ann-sofienilsson9400]

Thank you for a great video with lots of info.

[@0KT0BER]

The Normans took aristocratic position in England, not that much blood of theirs left here now. Some of us do say "England died in 1066".

[@0KT0BER]

@@liam1561 The Normans (and Franks) lay with the desert parasites. They and their descendents are forever losers.

[@mouthforwar17]

I'm fortunate enough to belong to a Scottish clan with records dating back to the mid 1100s. Oddly enough, the first recorded member of the family was named Bertolf, which is a very Germanic name. Currently I'm in the process of determining his origin. I was also lucky to have done my DNA by family tree DNA which has a dedicated geneologist that works through very specific DNA subclades. They traced my DNA to Scandinavia before 1100. I would recommend only family tree DNA over all other groups for anyone interested.

[@mouthforwar17]

@@mk-ur4cq theres likely medieval origin for that family name in Scotland. I used the People of Medieval Scotland database for help on mine

[@vladimirchernov5866]

My oldest is Olaf Arfvidsson Thegner. He was born on Christmas day 1615 in Thegneby, Vist, Västra Götaland, Sverige. I have/had bright blonde hair and Grey eyes. Very rare eye color. My skull is a bettering ram. I am 235lbs and 6'4"tall. Also a berserker

[@daveskelton7101]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 🎉 My surname started in Yorkshire Northern England a long long time ago and my Grandfather was from Waterford Ireland.. Skelton is a Norse and Anglo Saxton name from the first Viking raids. I did a lot of searching. A lot

[@spinedogfog581]

in my family, somewhere down the line we went from Anderson to Berge after we took over a farm.

[@Thorsoak]

I was able to trace my family back to the Norman invaders. Apparently the last name was taken after the invasion when they then settled in Wales. They were game keepers and had pear orchards. Also according to our crest knights.

[@martinfromseacity2010]

Thanks

[@shotgunbettygaming]

00:10 My favorite thing about you. 00:33 My 2nd favorite thing about you. Mom's maiden name was Engebritson, out of Norway (I was told Oslo area when I was a child) and Grandpa's name was Gisle. I'm 3rd gen American and have never met a family member actually IN Norway.

[@Fires755]

Thank you for sharing!!

[@vikingvixen1776]

I went to an archaeogenetic firm and had my dna analyzed and compared to burial site finds. There are, so far, a couple dozen Viking graves that my dna is matched to. This coincides with the travel patterns of my bloodline throughout history, and my profile being 70% Norwegian.

[@marcopolo2418]

Yes that's exactly what I have always said about the DNA Finally someone that gets it

[@bernicia-sc2iw]

My surname is a Gaelic term for Vikings , and after exploring my YDNA thoroughly , it is obvious my paternal lineage came from Norway during the Viking Age and settled in the Hebrides . But YDNA shows that most with my surname don't have a Norse paternal lineage but a Celtic one instead. I got lucky , but in short , don't assume anything about your lineage based on your surname because it's probably not what you think it is.

[@colamola]

Exploring my family has always been very important to me. I've always known I had German roots due to my last name and my bestemor telling me the stories she heard from her oldeforeldre about our lineage, but also the Norwegian in our family. And then on my mothers side we're either Finnish, Russian or both, but those records have been lost to time other than knowing they were most likely railroad workers in the areas near Trondheim in the late 1800s. I always wanted to know more but have had a hard time finding any sorts of records. All I know for sure is I'm part German, part Eastern European and mostly Norwegian

[@victorrock1997]

3:30 - basically Church Books in translation. Fridtjof Nansen is part of the collage of this video (as the featured picture of it) as well as Erik the Red discovering Vinland (i.e. Newfoundland in Canada).

[@lionheart830]

My great grandmother had the family name Ravn in Denmark. Many before her, I have 3 generations to my brick wall, have used Ravn too. Of course, all others were "sen".

[@wilcolandzaat3627]

My grand parents did move from denmark 1920 to holland to work there

[@-RONNIE]

Good video thanks ⚔️ I hope it helps people out

[@judithkelly2556]

Have traced mine to sigurd ragnessen form Denmark

[@shellymeier1020]

Thank you for this amazing video. Latest genetic research out of Sweden states that the mitochondria from the mother, determines the heritage of the child. Look to your mother’s genealogy…her mother, her mother’s mother etc. It all comes down through the female.

[@pauladuncanadams1750]

But it doesn't include the heritage of the father. If they were warriors, they could be from anywhere. That's where the Y dna comes in.

[@thurzieoneillpenfold9992]

I can honestly say and proud of my Scandinavian ancestry in my family tree. Orkney are in the Orkney saga. I have Norwegian , Norman, Danish ,Finland, Swedish , germanic. My family names are johnson, smiths, Fitzgeralds, Coates, just a few of the names , one name still resides in the orkneys. The Scarths family! Anyway thankyou for the talk . God yule 😊🧙⚔️

[@tack-on-titan]

I once dated a Norwegian and spent all my holidays over there, and the airport/plane staff would always speak to me in Norwegian because I apparently looked like one! I'm a mix of Scottish and Irish ancestry, so maybe there are a few Viking genes in me. I haven't been able to search far enough back to find out though.

[@nathanpattee1629]

Thats realy interesting..its entirely possible about the DNA ..but if you look Norwegian than the guy here says thats enough..After Anders Breivik (Norwegian mass murderer)was in the news , some people said I looked similar to him..i have small amounts of Scandinavian DNA .but like the guy says here, maybe DNA tests aren't reliable.i would like to try what you did at the airports.See if they speak Norwegian to me.🌲🌲🌲

[@nnonotnow]

I went with a DNA company that only traces heritage. I guess I would call it. They don't do the family tree. And they don't share the data with anyone. Including other users of the DNA company. So I have ancient DNA with 99% accuracy that puts an ancestor in Northern Europe in 645 AD. Northern Europe described as the Nordic countries, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as Åland, the Faroe Islands and occasionally Karelia and the Kola Peninsula. It's kind of a fun fact to know, but I don't see any way I could trace it back that far. I live in the US and so accessing some of those records would be problematic. I also have an English surname and assumed I was Anglo-Saxon. But more recent DNA shows me Scandinavian Germanic and a little bit of English. Always enjoy your stuff , I watch every video

[@Desstrik]

Greatness

[@Cliff82]

Mine on my Dad's side only goes back to 1530 Germany when our name changed to Kemper from Schmidt in Ernsdof

[@1.1797]

Ive been able to successfully trace one branch of my family's tree back to Imar of Waterford, 900's i believe, of Ireland. Ui Imar Dyanasty!!!!

[@inigomontoya8943]

Norse Magic would love Asha Logos latest episode.

[@RedDesertRoz]

Furthest we can trace our family is medieval York, which was of course a Viking city and region, and later Norman-ruled, so can reasonably infer Viking ancestry. Have visited York several times, but hope to visit up north in Scandinavia some day. So vastly different a climate from where we now live in Australia.

[@dominicconnor3437]

My name says it all lol. I know where I'm from. My people are from Ireland and we are lovers of wolves and hounds. My O'Connor name was shortened to Connor by my great great grandfather when he came to America from Ireland due to discrimination. Many Irish changed their name because of the discrimination of those days.

[@davidcarmichael2438]

Thank you for the info

[@christianroach8105]

I’m apparently of Norman descent I don’t know much about them.

[@81dedhed]

Me too!

[@andrewking4908]

My great-great grandfather came over from a small village in southwest Sweden in the 1800’s. We’re all over 6 foot tall and most of us (myself included) have blue eyes. Trying to do more digging on my family history but I’ve hit a wall.

[@OMG1961]

You should do the connection of the Saami people and the Vikings. They did intermarry. Especially if they were of high nobility. It is very fascinating. Also who actually invented the longboat? Was it Saami? I note you leave them out of the picture a lot. You should research this fascinating part of our culture.

[@barbarabroderick4468]

Last name literally breaks down to 'son of Bruder', Broderick, on the Irish side. Get asked often if German or Danish desendant. Member of clan MacGillivray, we have a tartan and motto "Touch not the cat". Our eye colours and height speak more of our ancestors, tall and green,grey, ice blue, and tiger orange eyes and beyond pale skin, fair adds colour to me😂😂

[@OriginalJayByrd]

My brother went really deep into our family tree and we hit royalty, so we could go back really far and.... My 34x great grandfather was Ragnar Lothbrok :) and it was through 3 of my 4 grand parents, from 3 of Ragnars sons, who did exist. My brother also discovered a bunch of cool family shields, all together very interesting :)

[@davidcarmichael2438]

Thank you kinsman

[@mh2.024]

A couple thoughts. 1. There are ways to anonymously do a DNA test. Make sure to research how. 2. Use the data provided to upload to Mytrueancestry. I know this may not be popular in some communities, but it does measure apples to apples and not apples to apples and bananas so to speak like a population source for modern results. 3. Some clan names originated through Scandinavian ancestry; however, clan names were also adopted by the locals who pledged loyalty to the clan chief. I.E. Clan Hay originated from the Normans however your Ydna may not have originated from the Norman De laHay who was the progenitor of Clan Hay.

[@HAMMER_2.2]

Jensen family traced to a small farm in Rousthøje , Denmark in mid 1800s. Exactly like you mentioned! Records come from the Rousthøje kirke with help from family. Always wonder how long they lived there and had their farm.

[@missa2855]

Jensen is also like the most common last name ever for a Dane.

[@brawndothethirstmutilator9848]

My 23andMe test was incredibly accurate. It matched 100% to verifiable family tree records I already had. It also helped me find a 2nd cousin that corrected my information about our shared ancestor being from Denmark rather than Norway. She even gave me his name and place of birth (which matched perfectly to the region of Denmark the test predicted: Midtjylland). I would have been forever searching with no results if I hadn’t just said F it and ordered the test 🤷‍♂️

[@elsemargrethetnder883]

Yes, but this video isn’t for those who really want to know it’s for those who just really really want to be something.

[@geraldolsen109]

In my opinion anyone with Norwegian ancestry has Viking ancestors ,the tiny population would surely share same history especially as the Viking @ge covered 300 years

[@samuelpierce639]

Historical records indicate most of my father’s ancestors lived in England. (eg, the last person there burned at the stake for heresy). He was surprised when his DNA was estimated at 1/3 Norse. After looking into it, I realized they all lived in areas colonized by Danes. My mother’s maiden name was Wiggins. I had no inkling it was derived from “wigand” until her DNA was estimated as 1/3 Norse. Papaw Wiggins was 5-feet tall, bald, and bow-legged. He didn’t look Viking at all. Finally, we all assumed the surname of my friend, McGuigan, was Irish or Scottish. Not according to the Google. “Son of the Viking”

[@obvioustroll8181]

Thank you for this! I've been hesitant to use those DNA test companies for the reasons mentioned.

[@tylermoody1130]

Moms Dad is from Sweden, and name is anders Anderson.