Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · India · South Asia
Uttar Pradesh lies in the heart of the Gangetic plain, the setting of much of early Vedic and classical Indian history. This page uses the average of Brahmins from the state, a community traditionally associated with priestly and scholarly roles. In our model, the profile is 57.2% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 25.6% steppe and 17.2% Iranian Neolithic farmer. The order of the last two is the notable point: in western Indian averages such as the Gujarati (21.6% Iranian-related, 13.4% steppe) it is reversed. Genetic studies have found relatively high steppe-related ancestry in several traditionally priestly groups, often linked with the spread of Indo-Aryan languages and Vedic culture from the northwest. Fittingly, the closest modern averages are other Brahmin samples, from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar (Bhojpuri), Maharashtra (Chitpavan) and even Karnataka (Havyaka), with Kshatriya samples in between. The fit (0.0478) is loose, so read the percentages as approximate; the closest ancient group, Roopkund about 800 AD, sits at 0.0462.
- Ancient components in our model: South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 57.2%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 25.6%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 17.2%
- Closest modern population in our data: Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh East), distance 0.0152
- Closest ancient group in our data: India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile), distance 0.0462
This page sums up what the DNA of the Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in India, listed in the G25 sheet as "Brahmin_Uttar_Pradesh", and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) average
The ancient make-up of the Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) average is led by South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) (57.2%), followed by Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (25.6%) and Iranian Neolithic farmers (17.2%). The South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) component reflects the deep hunter-gatherer ancestry of South Asia (Ancient Ancestral South Indians). The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) share (25.6%) reflects the Bronze Age herders of the Pontic-Caspian steppe (Yamnaya and related groups), whose ancestry spread across Europe and into Asia from about 3000 BC.
The fit is loose (fit distance 0.048), which usually means that none of the available reference populations is a close stand-in for part of this ancestry, so read the percentages as rough. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Sindhu – South Asian Report
Closest modern populations to Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh)
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) average is Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh East), at a distance of 0.015 (very close). Next come Bhojpuri Brahmin at 0.019 and Marathi Brahmin (Chitpavan) at 0.026. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Bhojpuri Brahmin (0.019), Marathi Brahmin (Chitpavan) (0.026) and Kshatriya (0.027). By the tenth closest (Bhojpuri (Kshatriya)) the distance grows to 0.030, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh East) | 0.0152 | Very close |
| 2 | Bhojpuri Brahmin | 0.0186 | Very close |
| 3 | Marathi Brahmin (Chitpavan) | 0.0258 | Close |
| 4 | Kshatriya | 0.0271 | Close |
| 5 | Kshatriya (Uttar Pradesh East) | 0.0272 | Close |
| 6 | Rajasthani (Meghwal) | 0.0273 | Close |
| 7 | Brahmin (Chitpavan) | 0.0273 | Close |
| 8 | Meena (Rajasthan) | 0.0282 | Close |
| 9 | Kannadiga Brahmin (Havyaka) | 0.0287 | Close |
| 10 | Bhojpuri (Kshatriya) | 0.0300 | Close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh)
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh), India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile) (c. 800 AD) comes first, at 0.046, with Pakistan HP Aligrama next. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile) | c. 800 AD | 0.0462 |
| 2 | Pakistan HP Aligrama | Historical period | 0.0619 |
| 3 | Pakistan HP Butkara | Historical period | 0.0622 |
| 4 | Pakistan IA Aligrama | Iron Age | 0.0666 |
| 5 | Iran EBA Shahr-i-Sokhta (IVC Profile) | Early Bronze Age | 0.0671 |
| 6 | Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif | Historical period | 0.0674 |
| 7 | Pakistan IA Katelai | Iron Age | 0.0823 |
| 8 | Pakistan HP Barikot | Historical period | 0.0825 |
| 9 | Pakistan IA Gogdara | Iron Age | 0.0833 |
| 10 | China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile) | Northern Zhou dynasty, 557-581 AD | 0.0842 |
Ancient DNA from India
Our ancient DNA database holds 59 individuals excavated in present-day India, dated from about 2,350 BC to 1860 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R2a (4), H1a (3) and J2b (3), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are M3 (6), H1 (4) and U2 (4). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on India
- Blending borders: reconstructing the genetic history of the Sindhi population (2026)
- Blending borders: reconstructing the genetic history of the Sindhi population (2026)
- The Old Lady spider cave skeletons in Ladakh have diverse maternal genetic origin (2026)
- Layers in the sand: The genetic imprint of migration, culture, and Indus craft in the Thar desert (2026)
- Admixture and Genetic Connectivity: Autosomal Insights Into Indo-Aryan Speakers at the Eastern Edge of the Indian Subcontinent (2026)
- Novel 4400-year-old ancestral component in a tribe speaking a Dravidian language (2025)
- Ancient mitogenomes from Neolithic, megalithic and medieval burials suggest complex genetic history of Kashmir valley, India (2025)
- 50,000 years of evolutionary history of India: Impact on health and disease variation (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 59 from India.
Compare yourself with Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh). Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) average. Your own DNA has its own story: Sindhu – South Asian Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of South Asian ancestry: ancient regional core (Indus Valley Civilization, BMAC, Steppe migration, Himalayan Iron Age & Classical layers) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 13 communities (Punjabi...
More populations from South Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) average is about 57.2% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 25.6% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 17.2% Iranian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh)?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh East)), the closest modern populations to the Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) average are Bhojpuri Brahmin, Marathi Brahmin (Chitpavan) and Kshatriya. The closest ancient matches are India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile), Pakistan HP Aligrama and Pakistan HP Butkara.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) ancestry?
Sindhu – South Asian Report is our regional report for this part of the world. On the Brahmin (Uttar Pradesh) average its fit test reads partial, so check your own DNA first: the free Report Finder runs that test on your file.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.