Do you recognize Egypt DNA region on your Ancestry results? In this post, learn more about this DNA region and trace back your Egyptian ancestry.
Egyptian immigrants to the US and Canada have made significant contributions to local economies and tend to be highly educated individuals – more than twice as likely as average US citizens to possess either a Masters degree or higher level of educational achievement.
People worldwide are familiar with iconic symbols of Egypt’s ancient culture, including its iconic pyramids. Yet few Americans know about its long and rich history going back thousands of years and its contemporary significance as an intersection point between Europe, Africa, and Asia.
More than 100k Americans and Canadians can claim Egyptian ancestry; those whose DNA matches the Egypt region can find great comfort knowing they are among great company.
Where is Egypt DNA Ethnicity Region located? The Egypt DNA ethnicity region can be found in northwest Africa. Its boundaries mainly conform to those of Egypt as an official country name – Arab Republic of Egypt in this case.
The map displayed above depicts Egypt in red, and you will notice its immediate neighbors are Sudan, Libya and Israel.
Which countries can I find DNA matching Egypt region on Ancestry? Egypt itself is where most DNA matches for Egypt can be found, boasting Africa’s third-highest population and being 12th largest country by area.
Egypt comprises roughly 6% of Asia. Of particular note is the Sinai Peninsula, which serves as an essential strategic link connecting Africa with Asia for thousands of years.
Will there be sub-regions for Egypt DNA region?
Although there are currently no sub-regions within Egypt DNA region itself, some sub-regions and DNA Communities in Levant DNA Region correspond with parts of Egypt – for instance if you have strong genetic connections to Cairo and surrounding cities along the Nile Delta area in particular then Levant DNA Region’s Nile Delta sub-region might apply.
Matching Egypt region on Ancestry may not always be accurate. One common method would be tracing back a recent ancestor who came directly from Egypt; this would also apply for DNA testers living there.
Immigration directly from Egypt to the United States and Canada began rapidly in the 1970s due to many factors – most importantly a change to Egypt’s constitution in 1971 that liberalized regulations for those looking to permanently leave.
Article 52 of Egypt’s 1971 Constitution codified Egyptian citizens’ right to permanent and temporary migration, prompting many individuals to find better economic and political conditions elsewhere.
If you don’t have any recent Egyptian ancestry, your DNA could have come from one of two sources.
Your DNA could come from this region indirectly through the DNA of an ancestor who moved away from Egypt.
While Egyptian migrants have made North America their home, most haven’t come directly here. Instead, most live in Saudi Arabia, Libya, United Arab Emirates Jordan Kuwait Sudan Sudan Qatar as opposed to North America where many live among others from their diaspora community.
At the turn of the 20th century, many Egyptians left Egypt for one of the many countries listed above. If your recent ancestors hail from any one of those places, consider that perhaps they had Egyptian roots.
However, an extremely small percentage of DNA matching this region could indicate very distant Egyptian ancestry. You can learn more about estimating how far back in your family tree you might need to look in order to trace back this source in this article.
Your Egypt DNA region could come from an ancestor from an adjacent region
If one of your recent ancestors lived near Egypt (like Jordan), or had direct ancestry from this DNA region ( such as Sudan or Libya or Israel) then consider that one or more recent ancestors may have more distant ties.
We may assume that our distant ancestors could not travel as freely in past centuries as we are able to today, yet this could not be further from the truth. Over the millennia, humans on every continent have made amazing journeys despite great difficulties.
How far back do you trace your Egyptian ancestry?
We can use the percentage of DNA matching with Egypt DNA region as an estimate of where to search in your family tree for Egyptian ancestry. In order to make this estimation accurately, it’s useful to learn some basics first:
Every person inherits half of each parent’s DNA through inheritance; however, only 50% is passed down directly; rather, this percentage is randomly determined through recombination processes.
As we inherit 50% from each parent, this information allows us to make some assumptions. For instance, if someone matches Egypt DNA region by having 5% matching it themselves we could assume one parent has at least 10% matching that region.
Assuming this data were accurate, this would imply that their grandparent’s DNA contained approximately 20%, their great-grandparent 40% and great-great grandparent 80-100% – though these estimates can differ since our genetic makeup doesn’t always follow linear lines.
Consider both parents as potential sources of DNA matching the Egypt region. For instance, if more than 50% of your DNA matches that region, then work under the assumption that both parents have ancestral connections in this area.
Conclusion
I hope that this post has provided you with all of the knowledge needed to fully comprehend your DNA matching up with that found in Egypt, both recent and distant past. Furthermore, I wish you the best of luck as you look for ancestors from either of its surrounding nations or Egypt itself.
If you have any inquiries or would like to share how your Ancestry results have helped shed light on your Egyptian ancestry, feel free to join in the dialogue below.
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