How DNA Testing Helped Me Confirm My Grandfather - and Can Help You Too

 Have you ever wondered if a DNA test could help you uncover the truth about your family's past? I did too - and the answer, for me, was yes. Through DNA testing on both Ancestry and My Heritage, I was able to confirm the man I believed to be my biological grandfather was in fact the right person. It was a moment of clarity that tied together years of research - and a reminder of just how powerful modern tools can be in solving old mysteries.

What DNA Testing Can Actually Tell You

DNA tests offer more than just a pie chart of where your ancestors may have come from.

When used well, they can:-

Help confirm or challenge family stories

Connect you to living relatives who share DNA with you

Support or strengthen your family tree research

Which Test Should You Take?

Most people use autosomal DNA tests (like those from Ancestry or My Heritage), which look at both sides of your family and are best for building family trees.

There are also:- Y-DNA tests (for direct male lines)- mt DNA tests (for maternal lines)

These are more specialist and used less often in general research.

Testing with more than one company (like I did) increases your chances of finding useful matches because not everyone tests in the same place.

DNA Is a Tool - Not the Whole Story

Your results will show you a list of DNA matches - people who share segments of DNA with you. But that's just the start. To make sense of these connections, you need to:-

Build trees around your matches

Look for shared surnames and locations

Be open-minded about unexpected results Some people discover unknown half-siblings. Others find confirmation of a long-whispered family rumour.

Every test is a journey, and no two are alike.

My Advice for Beginners

Don't rely too heavily on ethnicity estimates. They're interesting, but not precise.

Be respectful. Not everyone wants contact or is ready to talk.

Stay patient. It can take time to piece the puzzle together - but it's worth it.

Want Help Understanding Your DNA Matches? If you've taken a DNA test and don't know what to do next, I offer a personal consultation service where I'll help you interpret your results and build out your tree with confidence.