Genealogy and DNA Research

DNA and Lineage Interest Register

The Register records broad Jack family-line and DNA testing interests. It is not a raw DNA database or a public family-tree database. Public reporting is anonymous, and possible researcher contact is handled privately with consent from both sides.

Open the DNA and Lineage Interest Register

Start here for Jack researchers

Choose the path that best fits where you are now.

How Clan Jack supports researchers

Traditional genealogy remains the foundation of Jack family research. Parish registers, civil records, census entries, land documents, wills, tax records and family papers all matter. Where DNA is involved, documentary evidence still matters. DNA can support or redirect a line of enquiry, but it does not replace careful source-based genealogy.

Clan Jack does not host a public family-tree database. Instead, we encourage researchers to maintain their own properly sourced trees on platforms they trust, with FamilySearch recommended as the preferred free shared-tree option where appropriate.

Free starting point: add your Jack tree to FamilySearch, join the Register, and review the shared Jack Research Resources first.

Which DNA test may help?

DNA testing can help identify links between Jack families in different countries, especially when test results are paired with sourced trees and known ancestral places.

• AncestryDNA / MyHeritage: useful for cousin matching across all family lines, especially when linked to a tree.
• FamilyTreeDNA Y-DNA: useful for direct male Jack surname-line research.
• Big Y: useful for deeper branch placement and long-term Jack surname study.
• GEDmatch: optional cross-platform autosomal comparison tool; users should understand and choose their own privacy settings.

DNA can support or redirect a line of enquiry, but it does not replace careful source-based genealogy.

No one should upload raw DNA, private match lists, screenshots, passwords, health information, or living-person family trees to Clan Jack.

Which DNA test should I take?

Recommended first DNA tests

For most Jack family-history questions, autosomal DNA is the usual first step. AncestryDNA and MyHeritage DNA are practical starting points because they combine cousin matching, family trees, and large international user bases.

AncestryDNA

Often a strong first test for New Zealand, Australian, British, Irish and wider international family-history work because of its large match database, tree integration, and genealogy ecosystem.

Visit AncestryDNA

MyHeritage DNA

Useful as a second platform or follow-up test, especially where overseas matches, European connections, additional match networks, or tree tools may help.

Visit MyHeritage DNA

Clan Jack does not sell DNA kits and does not receive commission from these links. Please check each company's current pricing, shipping, privacy settings, terms, and data-use policies before purchasing. DNA testing can reveal unexpected family relationships, so it should be approached thoughtfully.

External resource: FamilyTreeDNA

Y-DNA and the Jack paternal line

Y-DNA follows the direct paternal line, usually father to son, so it can be especially useful for Jack, Jacks, Jak and related surname research. For Clan Jack researchers, the aim is to compare direct male Jack lines, identify which lines may share a common paternal ancestor, and separate unrelated Jack families that simply share the same or similar surname.

FamilyTreeDNA is the main practical platform for Y-DNA surname projects. The Jacks Project at FamilyTreeDNA provides a place for Jack, Jacks and related variant lines to compare Y-DNA results. The project invites males with the Jacks or Jack surname to participate and recommends at least Y-DNA37 for better project comparison confidence.

Y-DNA is most useful when combined with documentary research, place evidence, and careful family-tree work. A Y-DNA match is a research clue, not proof on its own.

Learn about Y-DNA testing Visit the Jacks Y-DNA Project View public Jacks Y-DNA results

• Best for direct male Jack/Jacks lines.
• Useful for comparing surname-line groups.
• Big Y can help refine deeper branches where several related men test.
• Autosomal DNA is still better for broad cousin matching across all family lines.

External resource: FamilyTreeDNA

Clan Jack does not sell DNA tests and does not receive commission from these links. Please check current prices, privacy settings, project terms and testing requirements before purchasing.

Priority Jack research areas

These areas are useful starting points for Jack surname research because they appear in historical records, surname-distribution work, DNA-interest discussions, or known migration patterns. They are research leads, not proof.

• Avoch / Ross & Cromarty
• Elgin / Moray
• Banffshire / Keith
• Fife / Balmerino
• Perthshire / Dunkeld / Atholl / Alyth
• Angus / Coupar Angus
• Ulster
• North America
• Australia and New Zealand

Explore Jack Research Areas

Contribute Jack research material

If you have Jack indexes, transcriptions, old papers, regional Jack research, surname studies, record extracts, Y-DNA surname-line evidence, corrections or better references, Clan Jack would be glad to hear from you.

Contributed material may be reviewed before publication. Please do not send private or living-person material without consent. Clan Jack may summarise, index, or host suitable material for the benefit of Jack researchers.

Professional genealogy and DNA help

Clan Jack provides general guidance, shared research resources, and a DNA and Lineage Interest Register for the benefit of Jack surname researchers. It does not provide a full personal research service for every family line.

For those wanting individual help with documentary genealogy, DNA analysis, Y-DNA interpretation, unknown parentage questions, or deeper Jack-line research, David A. Jack MSc QG® offers professional genealogy services through Kiwi Lineage Finder.

Professional help is optional. The free starting point is to build your own sourced tree, use the shared resources, and join the Register if your Jack line may help wider research.

Professional research is separate from the Clan Jack Society's free shared resources and may involve fees.

Kiwi Lineage Finder

Letter from William Jack, 17 March 1747