Kurdish DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Kurdistan (Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria) · West Asia
Kurdish communities live across the mountains and plateaus of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, and their genetic profile is rooted in that highland region. In our model, the largest component, 33.9%, comes from Iranian Neolithic farmers, represented by Ganj Dareh in the Zagros mountains, part of the same broad region. Anatolian Neolithic farmers add 24.3%, steppe herders 15.4%, Levantine Neolithic farmers 13.6% and Caucasus hunter-gatherers 10.6%. The mix of Zagros, Anatolian and Levantine farmer ancestry formed early in this region, while steppe-related ancestry arrived later, during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The closest ancient groups in our data are Iron Age people from Hasanlu, Dinkha Tepe and Hajji Firuz in northwestern Iran, and an Achaemenid-era population with a Zagros profile from Bakr Awa in Iraq. The closest modern averages are Kurdish samples from the former USSR, Dersim and Iraq, and Kurmanji and Zaza samples from Turkey.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Iranian Neolithic farmers 33.9%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 24.3%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 15.4%
- Closest modern population in our data: Kurd (USSR), distance 0.0068
- Closest ancient group in our data: Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile), distance 0.0139
Where does Kurdish DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Kurdish individuals sampled in Kurdistan (Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria) 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 Kurdish average
The ancient make-up of the Kurdish average is led by Iranian Neolithic farmers (33.9%), followed by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (24.3%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (15.4%). The Iranian Neolithic farmers component reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (24.3%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
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 fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.026): 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.
Simorgh – Iranian Plateau Report
Closest modern populations to Kurdish
Genetically, the Kurdish average sits nearest to Kurd (USSR) at 0.007, Kurdish (Turkey Dersim) at 0.011 and Kurd (Iraq) at 0.011. On our scale, a distance of 0.007 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Kurd (USSR) (0.007), Kurd (Iraq) (0.011) and Kurd Zaza (Turkey) (0.011). Even the tenth closest, Alevi (Dersim), is only 0.013 away: Kurdish belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurd (USSR) | 0.0068 | Very close |
| 2 | Kurdish (Turkey Dersim) | 0.0109 | Very close |
| 3 | Kurd (Iraq) | 0.0109 | Very close |
| 4 | Kurdish Kurmanji (Turkey) | 0.0112 | Very close |
| 5 | Kurd Zaza (Turkey) | 0.0113 | Very close |
| 6 | Yazidi (Turkey) | 0.0116 | Very close |
| 7 | Zaza | 0.0122 | Very close |
| 8 | Ezid | 0.0125 | Very close |
| 9 | Yazidi | 0.0126 | Very close |
| 10 | Alevi (Dersim) | 0.0129 | 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 Kurdish
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Kurdish, Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) (Iron Age) comes first, at 0.014, with Iran IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau 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 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0139 |
| 2 | Iran IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0195 |
| 3 | Iran IA Hajji Firuz (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0232 |
| 4 | Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Zagrosian Profile) | Achaemenid era, c. 550-330 BC | 0.0236 |
| 5 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Irano-Mesopotamian Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0243 |
| 6 | Iran MBA-IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0257 |
| 7 | Armenia Hellenistic Aghitu (Orontid) | Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC | 0.0322 |
| 8 | Iran Medieval Ganj Dareh | Medieval, c. 500-1500 AD | 0.0323 |
| 9 | Iran High Medieval Khwarazmian-Ilkhanate Kalmakareh Cave | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0325 |
| 10 | Iraq IA Neo-Assyrian-Neo-Babylonian Bakr Awa | Iron Age | 0.0336 |
Compare yourself with Kurdish
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Kurdish average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Kurdish 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.
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About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Kurdish individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Kurdish. 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 Kurdish average. Your own DNA has its own story: Simorgh – Iranian Plateau 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 Iranian-plateau ancestry: ancient regional core (Bronze/Iron Age Iranian Plateau, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid Persia) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 10 communities (Persian, Lur/Bakhtiari...
More populations from West Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Kurdish?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Kurdish average is about 33.9% Iranian Neolithic farmers, 24.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 15.4% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Kurdish?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Kurdish (Turkey Dersim)), the closest modern populations to the Kurdish average are Kurd (USSR), Kurd (Iraq) and Kurd Zaza (Turkey). The closest ancient matches are Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile), Iran IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) and Iran IA Hajji Firuz (Iranian Plateau Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Kurdish?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Kurdish 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 Kurdish ancestry?
For the Kurdish average, the regional report to choose is Simorgh – Iranian Plateau 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.