French DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · France · Western Europe
France sits between the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Central Europe, and its genetic profile lies in the middle of the Western European range. In our model, the French average is 48.7% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 39.7% steppe (Yamnaya) and 11.7% Western hunter-gatherer. Early farmers arrived by two routes, along the Mediterranean coast and through the Danube valley into the north, and from about 2500 BC people associated with the Bell Beaker culture brought steppe-related ancestry. That Bronze Age mix is the base on which the Celtic, Roman and Frankish periods were built. The closest modern averages are Belgian samples and French regional samples from Occitanie and Paris, followed by Swiss Germans and Alsatians. The closest ancient group is Late Iron Age La Tene people from Cornaux in Switzerland, a culture of the Celtic world, followed by early medieval Western European groups.
- Ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 48.7%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 39.7%, Western hunter-gatherers 11.7%
- Closest modern population in our data: Belgian (group C), distance 0.0102
- Closest ancient group in our data: Switzerland LIA La Tene Cornaux, distance 0.0137
Where does French DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the French individuals sampled in France 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 French average
The ancient make-up of the French average is led by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (48.7%), followed by Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (39.7%) and Western hunter-gatherers (11.7%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) share (39.7%) 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 acceptable (fit distance 0.031): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
France Profonde – French Regional Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to French
Genetically, the French average sits nearest to Belgian (group C) at 0.010, French Occitan (Occitanie Haute Garonne) at 0.011 and Swiss German at 0.011. On our scale, a distance of 0.010 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Belgian (group C) (0.010), Swiss German (0.011) and Alsatian (0.014). Even the tenth closest, Italian (Aosta Valley, Valdotain), is only 0.020 away: French belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgian (group C) | 0.0102 | Very close |
| 2 | French Occitan (Occitanie Haute Garonne) | 0.0109 | Very close |
| 3 | Swiss German | 0.0114 | Very close |
| 4 | French Oïl (Ile-de-France Paris) | 0.0116 | Very close |
| 5 | Alsatian | 0.0137 | Very close |
| 6 | Belgian | 0.0147 | Very close |
| 7 | Belgian (group B) | 0.0147 | Very close |
| 8 | Swiss (French) | 0.0166 | Very close |
| 9 | German (Baden-Wurttemberg Ellwangen) | 0.0190 | Very close |
| 10 | Italian (Aosta Valley, Valdotain) | 0.0202 | Very 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 French
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to French, Switzerland LIA La Tene Cornaux (Late Iron Age) comes first, at 0.014, with Germany LIA-Early Medieval Hassleben (Western Euro 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 | Switzerland LIA La Tene Cornaux | Late Iron Age | 0.0137 |
| 2 | Germany LIA-Early Medieval Hassleben (Western Euro Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0138 |
| 3 | Hungary Early Medieval Conqueror Period (Western Euro Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0138 |
| 4 | Belgium Early-High Medieval Merovingian-Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile) | Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD | 0.0145 |
| 5 | Czechia IA La Tene (Intermediate Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0147 |
| 6 | Italy Lazio Late Medieval Rome (Mixed Western Euro Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0150 |
| 7 | Belgium High Medieval Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile) | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0151 |
| 8 | Spain Catalonia Early Medieval Visigoth | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0152 |
| 9 | Belgium Early Medieval Merovingian-Carolingian Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0152 |
| 10 | Belgium Early Medieval Merovingian Koksijde (Western Euro Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0155 |
Ancient DNA from France
Our ancient DNA database holds 1,113 individuals excavated in present-day France, dated from about 52,000 BC to 1821 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1b (163), I2a (144) and G2a (142), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are K1 (131), U5 (116) and H1 (104). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's French population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on France
- Ancient DNA Reveals Limited Hunter-Gatherer Ancestry in the Cerny Culture (Middle Neolithic, France) Despite Hunting-Associated Practices (2026)
- Population discontinuity in the Paris Basin linked to evidence of the Neolithic decline (2026)
- L’apport de la paléogénétique à la compréhension des populations de la fin de l’Antiquité et du début du Moyen Âge. L’exemple de la nécropole de la gare Saint-Laud à Angers (2025)
- Ancient DNA sheds light on the funerary practices of late Neolithic collective burial in southern France (2025)
- How local reference panels improve imputation in French populations (2024)
- Genomic ancestry and social dynamics of the last hunter-gatherers of Atlantic France (2024)
- Earliest evidence of human occupations and technological complexity above the 45th North parallel in Western Europe. The site of Lunery-Rosieres la-Terre-des-Sablons (France, 1.1 Ma) (2024)
- Late Neolithic collective burial reveals admixture dynamics during the third millennium BCE and the shaping of the European genome (2024)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 1,113 from France.
Compare yourself with French
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the French average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers French 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 French individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as French. 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 French average. Your own DNA has its own story: France Profonde – French Regional Ancestry 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 French ancestry: ancient regional core (Gaulish, Frankish, Gallo-Roman, Norse Norman) versus non-regional outside admixture, across France's 20 historic regions (Alsace, Brittany, Normandy, Provence, Auvergne...
More populations from Western Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of French?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the French average is about 48.7% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 39.7% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 11.7% Western hunter-gatherers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to French?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as French Occitan (Occitanie Haute Garonne)), the closest modern populations to the French average are Belgian (group C), Swiss German and Alsatian. The closest ancient matches are Switzerland LIA La Tene Cornaux, Germany LIA-Early Medieval Hassleben (Western Euro Profile) and Hungary Early Medieval Conqueror Period (Western Euro Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am French?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled French 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 French ancestry?
For the French average, the regional report to choose is France Profonde – French Regional Ancestry 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.