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Discover the family story your DNA can tell.

Uncover your ethnic mix, discover distant relatives, and find new details about your unique family history with a simple DNA test.

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AncestryDNA—The World's Largest Consumer DNA Database.

Get started in a few simple steps.

Order your complete kit with easy-to-follow instructions.

Return a small saliva sample in the prepaid envelope.

Your DNA will be analyzed at more than 700,000 genetic markers.

Within 6-8 weeks, expect an email with a link to your online results.

Uncover your ethnic mix.

When your results arrive, you'll see a breakdown of your ethnicity—and it may contain a few surprises. Then, you can start learning more about the places where your family story began.

covered by the AncestryDNA test.

Find relatives you never knew you had.

Once you've taken your test, we'll search our network of AncestryDNA members and identify your cousins—the people who share your DNA. And if you're lucky, you might even make a ™.*

*Some features may require an Ancestry subscription.

More people tested means more ways to connect.

With more than 1.5 million people now in our database and the unique ability to connect with Ancestry’s billions of historical records and millions of family trees, AncestryDNA can help deliver the richest family stories—and solve the toughest family mysteries.

“ProGenealogists recommends AncestryDNA as an indispensable tool for family history discoveries.”

Kyle Betit
Senior Genealogy Researcher

See how AncestryDNA works.

Hint: it's all about you.

Read about some real-life discoveries.

Learn how AncestryDNA has helped people see themselves in a whole new way.

Connected beyond Colombia

Isabel Rojas always identified with her Bogotá roots. But her DNA results took her ancestry to unexpected places.

Mystery solved

When John Danby took an AncestryDNA test he hoped for some answers. He got generations of them.

A true gift

Lehan Crane received a kit as a present. He never expected it would open a whole new chapter in his life.

AncestryDNA explained.

Get answers to some common questions.

Why would I take the AncestryDNA test?

AncestryDNA is a cutting edge DNA testing service that utilizes some of the latest autosomal testing technology to revolutionize the way you discover your family history. This service combines advanced DNA science with the world’s largest online family history resource to predict your genetic ethnicity and help you find new family connections. It maps ethnicity going back multiple generations and provides insight into such possibilities as: what region of Europe are my ancestors from, or am I likely to have East Asian heritage? AncestryDNA can also help identify relationships with unknown relatives through a dynamic list of DNA matches.

What will my results tell me?

Your AncestryDNA results include information about your ethnicity across 26 regions/ethnicities and identifies potential relatives through DNA matching to others who have taken the AncestryDNA test. Your results are a great starting point for more family history research, ‪and it can also be a way to dig even deeper into the research you’ve already done.

Can AncestryDNA tell me about my Native American ethnicity?

The AncestryDNA test may predict if you are at least partly Native American, which includes some tribes that are indigenous to North America, including the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The results do not currently provide a specific tribal affiliation. (Please note that your AncestryDNA ethnicity results cannot be used as a substitute for legal documentation.)

How do I take the test?

AncestryDNA is a simple saliva test you can do in the comfort of your own home. Once you order, you will receive the AncestryDNA kit in the mail in a matter of days. Your AncestryDNA kit includes full instructions, a saliva collection tube, and a pre-paid return mailer (so you don't have additional costs to return your DNA.) After returning your sample by just dropping it in the mail, your DNA is processed at the lab. You then receive an email notifying you that your results are ready to explore on the AncestryDNA website.

How large is the AncestryDNA database?

AncestryDNA is the leader in DNA testing for family history and includes more than a million people who have taken the AncestryDNA test as well as the ability to access Ancestry, the world's largest online family history resource, which includes millions of family trees and over 16 billion historical records.

How long does it take to get my results?

Your AncestryDNA test results will normally take about 6-8 weeks to process from the time that the lab receives your DNA sample. Please note that you must also activate your DNA kit online in order to begin processing.

How secure and private is AncestryDNA?

Your privacy is very important to us and we are committed to protecting your DNA. For more information on privacy at AncestryDNA, please review the AncestryDNA Privacy Statement. For a more general discussion of privacy on the Ancestry family of websites, see the Ancestry Privacy Center.

How do I see my results?

When your AncestryDNA results are ready, you will receive an email from AncestryDNA notifying you, with a link to view your results. Your results will also be available online in your password-protected AncestryDNA account.

What technology is behind this new service?

The AncestryDNA test uses microarray-based autosomal DNA testing, which surveys a person’s entire genome at over 700,000 locations, all with a simple saliva sample. Additionally, the new online interface integrates state-of-the art tools for you to utilize your DNA results for family history research.

Can a woman take this test?

Yes, both women and men can use AncestryDNA since we all carry the DNA that is being tested. In fact, men and women are tested in the same way for the same number of markers. Unlike some other DNA tests, which only analyze the Y-chromosome (and can only be taken by a male to look at your direct paternal lineage) or mitochondrial DNA (can be taken by a male or female but only looks at your direct maternal lineage), AncestryDNA looks at a person’s entire genome at over 700,000 locations.

AncestryDNA is private and secure. LEARN MORE

The leader in DNA testing for family history

Order now

The leader in DNA testing for family history

Order now

Isabel Rojas

Identity is an interesting concept. For the most part we like to believe that we define our own identity. The truth is a lot goes into defining our identity. And what it comes down to is what we accept as our own. The more we know about ourselves, our own experiences, our families past and heritage, and so on - the more our own identity changes and evolves and becomes further defined in our minds and accepted as our own. I have a lot of thoughts and experiences around this topic that have caused my own identity do grow and evolve over time. Here is a snap shot:

I was born in NYC, the youngest of 5 kids. My parents and three older siblings were born in Bogota, Colombia. My family migrated to NYC in the late 70’s looking for a better life. After my brother and I were born in the early 80’s my parents had begun to realize what a dangerous city it was at that time and decided to head back to Colombia. They worked hard to build a 3 story building where we would live, work, and rent out space. It was a 3 year process. But sadly Colombia at that time was worsening. Bomb threats throughout the city and in front of our new building became too much for my family. We made the trip back to NYC and a year later drove to Salt Lake City where we have lived for about 27 years.

People look at me and often wonder what I am.

People look at me and often wonder what I am. It is often both entertaining and frustrating when people attempt to find out where I am from. My name implies Hispanic/Latino and considering that is the largest ethnic/minority population in Utah it’s a pretty safe guess. However, when I’m with my Polynesian friends people think I’m Hawaiian or a mix of Polynesian and something else. In fact in high school I MC’d a Polynesian dance group because I could pull off the look. When I travel my friend have told me that they like having me around because I blend in just about anywhere. I recently attended a Nepali church service and had a few people ask me what part of Nepal I was from. It’s fun when people assume I am from a different culture/heritage then I am. And I have to admit it’s kind of entertaining watching people try to skirt around the inquiry as to where I am from.

I identify myself as Colombian, But the sad thing is that when I go to Colombia some family members consider me North American because I was born in the U.S. However, in the U.S. I am defined as Hispanic/Latino in just about every form of paper work I fill out, by associates, friends, and strangers. I often weave in and out of the wonderful experience of growing up straddling two worlds and cultures and the feeling of being neither from here nor there. There is a constant pull between how other identify and define me and how I chose to define and accept myself, my heritage, my culture, and the unknown history that somehow contributes to who I am.

As my dad and I have begun to explore our genealogy the past 7 years or so, we’ve found that our family is largely from Spain which is no big surprise. My mom is white; her mother was also fair skinned with grayish blue eyes. Some of her cousins that live in Colombia are blond and blue eyed. But that isn’t rare in Colombia, let alone south/central america. Colombians have a wide range of ethnicities and consequently a lot of racial discrimination. The Spanish influence is very much present and often people can easily say how many generations back are from Spain. My dad also suspects we have German ancestry somewhere back there.

I received an AncestryDNA kit a few years ago for my birthday. My friend knew I had been working on family history and thought I should give it a shot. Since then I’ve had my mother and grandmother on my fathers side tested as well. What surprised me the most in my results was that I’m 35% Native American, 5% African, and 29% from the Iberian Peninsula. This has drastically broadened the way I think about my identity and heritage. I feel a sense of connectedness with those areas of the world now and am now anxious to dig deeper and see how far back our records can go. In a less personal sense, I feel like information like this can have a great influence on how people think and treat each other. My grandmother, who took pride in being of “pure blood”, meaning Spanish, would have completely rejected the notion that I’m 5% African, and likely would have blamed it on my father’s side.

There is great power in understanding our deepest heritage and history and in giving ourselves permission to connect with others through that heritage and knowledge. Its liberating in many ways.

Discover the family story your DNA can tell.

AncestryDNA—The World's Largest Consumer DNA Database.

Uncover your ethnic mix.

Find relatives you never knew you had.

More people tested means more ways to connect.

See how AncestryDNA works.

Read about some real-life discoveries.

Connected beyond Colombia

Mystery solved

A true gift

AncestryDNA explained.

Why would I take the AncestryDNA test?

What will my results tell me?

Can AncestryDNA tell me about my Native American ethnicity?

How do I take the test?

How large is the AncestryDNA database?

How long does it take to get my results?

How secure and private is AncestryDNA?

How do I see my results?

What technology is behind this new service?

Can a woman take this test?

AncestryDNA is private and secure. LEARN MORE

The leader in DNA testing for family history

The leader in DNA testing for family history

A Comprehensive Map of AncestryDNA Ethnicity Regions

Isabel Rojas

John Danby

Lehan Crane

Meet the AncestryDNA science team.

Ken Chahine, Ph.D.

Sr. Vice President and General Manager, Ancestry.comPresident, AncestryDNA

Catherine Ball, Ph.D.

VP Genomics and Bioinformatics, AncestryDNA

Natalie Myres, M.S., M.B.A.

Director of Business Development, AncestryDNA

Jake Byrnes, Ph.D.

Population Genomics Senior Analyst, AncestryDNA

Mathew Barber, Ph.D.

Statistical Geneticist, AncestryDNA

Ross Curtis, Ph.D.

Computational Biologist, AncestryDNA

Keith Noto, Ph.D.

Senior Data Scientist, AncestryDNA

Yong Wang, Ph.D.

Senior Data Scientist, AncestryDNA

Julie Granka, Ph.D.

Population Geneticist, AncestryDNA

Amir Kermany

Sr. Genomics Data Scientist, AncestryDNA

Christine (Eunjung) Han

Computational Biologist, AncestryDNA

Peter Carbonetto

Computational Biologist, AncestryDNA

Scientific Advisory Board

Philip Awadalla, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of PediatricsUniversity of Montreal

Jeffrey Botkin, M.D., M.P.H.

Professor, Department of PediatricsUniversity of Utah

Carlos Bustamante, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of GeneticsStanford University

Mark Daly, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of MedicineHarvard Medical School

John Novembre, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Human GeneticsUniversity of Chicago

Sr. Vice President and General Manager, Ancestry.com
President, AncestryDNA

Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Montreal

Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Utah

Professor, Department of Genetics
Stanford University

Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School

Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics
University of Chicago