Cypriot DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Cyprus · Southern Europe
Cyprus lies in the far eastern Mediterranean, closer to the coasts of Syria and Turkey than to mainland Greece, and its history reflects that position: Greek settlement in the late Bronze Age, Phoenician cities, then Roman, Byzantine, Crusader-era, Venetian, Ottoman and British rule. In our model, the Cypriot average is 43.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 17.3% Levantine Neolithic, 14.6% Iranian Neolithic, 10.9% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, 9.8% steppe and 4.3% Natufian. The Levantine and Iranian-related shares set Cyprus clearly apart from Greeks of the Peloponnese, who have 33.0% steppe and no Levantine Neolithic share in our model. After a second Greek Cypriot sample (distance 0.0027), the nearest averages are Greeks from Rhodes (0.0170) and Turkish Cypriots (0.0187), a reminder of the long shared history of the island's communities. The closest ancient groups are medieval people from Stratonikeia in south-western Anatolia (0.0128) and Imperial Romans with an East Mediterranean and Anatolian profile.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 43.1%, Levantine Neolithic farmers 17.3%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 14.6%
- Closest population outside Cyprus in our data: Greek (Dodecanese Rhodes), distance 0.0170
- Closest ancient group in our data: Turkey Anatolia Early-High Medieval Stratonikeia (East Med-Anatolian Profile), distance 0.0128
Where does Cypriot DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Cypriot individuals sampled in Cyprus and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Cypriot average
The ancient make-up of the Cypriot average is led by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (43.1%), followed by Levantine Neolithic farmers (17.3%) and Iranian Neolithic farmers (14.6%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The Levantine Neolithic farmers share (17.3%) reflects the early farmers of the Levant and the Natufian foragers who came before them.
Smaller traces of Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) (under 5%) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The model fits well (fit distance 0.022), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Thalassa – Mediterranean Islander Report
Closest modern populations to Cypriot
Genetically, the Cypriot average sits nearest to Greek (Cyprus) at 0.003, Greek (Dodecanese Rhodes) at 0.017 and Turkish Cypriot at 0.019. On our scale, a distance of 0.003 counts as very close. By the tenth closest (Turkish Jew) 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 | Greek (Cyprus) | 0.0027 | Very close |
| 2 | Greek (Dodecanese Rhodes) | 0.0170 | Very close |
| 3 | Turkish Cypriot | 0.0187 | Very close |
| 4 | Greek (Dodecanese) | 0.0214 | Very close |
| 5 | Romaniote Jew | 0.0229 | Very close |
| 6 | Syrian Jew | 0.0273 | Close |
| 7 | Druze (other sample set) | 0.0287 | Close |
| 8 | Sephardic Jew (Turkey) | 0.0293 | Close |
| 9 | Cappadocian Greek | 0.0299 | Close |
| 10 | Turkish Jew | 0.0301 | 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 Cypriot
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Cypriot, Turkey Anatolia Early-High Medieval Stratonikeia (East Med-Anatolian Profile) (Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD) comes first, at 0.013, with Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (East Med-Anatolian Profile) next. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. 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 | Turkey Anatolia Early-High Medieval Stratonikeia (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD | 0.0128 |
| 2 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0132 |
| 3 | Greece Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Corinthia Tenea | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0178 |
| 4 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Isola Sacra (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0184 |
| 5 | Italy Lazio Late Antiquity Rome (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0213 |
| 6 | Turkey Anatolia High Medieval Stratonikeia (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0215 |
| 7 | Turkey Anatolia Roman Empire Camandiras-Dalagoz (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0218 |
| 8 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Casale del Dolce (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0220 |
| 9 | Turkey Anatolia Early Medieval Samantas (Byzantine, East Med Profile) | Byzantine era, c. 330-1450 AD | 0.0221 |
| 10 | Turkey Anatolia Hellenistic-Roman Republic Gordion (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Roman Republic, c. 500-27 BC | 0.0222 |
Ancient DNA from Cyprus
Our ancient DNA database holds 55 individuals excavated in present-day Cyprus, dated from about 7,650 BC to 750 BC. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are J2a (6), G2a (4) and J1a (3), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are K1 (6), H (5) and N1 (5). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Cypriot population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| J2a | 6 | CGG_2_022126 CGG_2_022928 CGG_2_022524 |
| G2a | 4 | CGG_2_022543 CGG_2_022548 CGG_2_022508 |
| J1a | 3 | CGG_2_015633 CGG_2_100076 CGG_2_022116 |
| H2 | 2 | I4207 I4209 |
| C1a | 1 | CGG_2_022551 |
| E1b | 1 | CGG_2_022497 |
| F | 1 | I4210 |
| H2a | 1 | I4208 |
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| K1 | 6 | I4208 CGG_2_022531 CGG_2_015634 |
| H | 5 | CGG_2_022924 CGG_2_022507 CGG_2_022528 |
| N1 | 5 | CGG_2_022490 CGG_2_022535 CGG_2_015632 |
| T2 | 5 | I4209 CGG_2_022496 CGG_2_022510 |
| J1 | 4 | CGG_2_022534 CGG_2_022126 CGG_2_100074 |
| HV1 | 3 | CGG_2_022497 CGG_2_022502 CGG_2_022117 |
| J2 | 3 | CGG_2_022122 CGG_2_022116 CGG_2_022483 |
| T1 | 3 | CGG_2_022524 CGG_2_022509 CGG_2_022527 |
Ancient DNA studies on Cyprus
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 55 from Cyprus.
Compare yourself with Cypriot
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Cypriot average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Cypriot 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
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Cypriot individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Cypriot. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
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 Cypriot average. Your own DNA has its own story: Thalassa – Mediterranean Islander 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 Mediterranean-island ancestry: ancient regional core (Minoan, Mycenaean, Nuragic Sardinian, Phoenician, Sicani, Daunian) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 9 communities (Sicilian, Sardinian, Maltese...
More populations from Southern Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Cypriot?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Cypriot average is about 43.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 17.3% Levantine Neolithic farmers and 14.6% 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 Cypriot?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Cypriot average are Greek (Cyprus), Greek (Dodecanese Rhodes) and Turkish Cypriot. The closest ancient matches are Turkey Anatolia Early-High Medieval Stratonikeia (East Med-Anatolian Profile), Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (East Med-Anatolian Profile) and Greece Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Corinthia Tenea.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Cypriot?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Cypriot 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 Cypriot ancestry?
For the Cypriot average, the regional report to choose is Thalassa – Mediterranean Islander Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
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.