Lombard DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Italy · Southern Europe
Lombardy, the populous region around Milan, takes its name from the Lombards, a Germanic people who crossed the Alps in 568 and ruled much of Italy for two centuries. The region's genetic profile, though, remains firmly northern Italian. In our model, the Lombard average is 61.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 33.7% steppe and 4.8% Western hunter-gatherer, with a little more farmer and less steppe ancestry than Piedmont (58.0% and 36.3%), and none of the Levantine or Iranian-related shares found further south. Apart from two other Lombard samples (distances 0.0056 and 0.0105), the closest modern average is the Piedmont one (0.0138), with Corsicans and Tuscans next. The closest ancient groups are Late Antique and early medieval people with a Paleo-Balkan profile from Libiva in Czechia and Sisak in Croatia and people of the same period from Burgusio in South Tyrol (0.0179), with Middle Bronze Age people from Croatia not far behind (0.0186).
- Ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 61.5%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 33.7%, Western hunter-gatherers 4.8%
- Closest population outside Lombardy in our data: Northern Italian, distance 0.0138
- Closest ancient group in our data: Czechia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Libiva (Paleo-Balkan Profile), distance 0.0172
This page sums up what the DNA of the Lombard sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Italy, listed in the G25 sheet as "Italian_Lombardy", 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 Lombard average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Lombard average, 61.5%, goes to Anatolian Neolithic farmers, ahead of Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (33.7%) and Western hunter-gatherers (4.8%). 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 (33.7%) 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. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of Western hunter-gatherers (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 0.025), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Closest modern populations to Lombard
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Italian (Lombardy, Lombard) first for Lombard, at 0.006, then Italian (Lombardy Bergamo, Lombard) and Northern Italian. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Northern Italian (0.014), Corsican (0.019) and Tuscan (0.022). Even the tenth closest, Spanish (Baleares), is only 0.029 away: Lombard belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian (Lombardy, Lombard) | 0.0056 | Very close |
| 2 | Italian (Lombardy Bergamo, Lombard) | 0.0105 | Very close |
| 3 | Northern Italian | 0.0138 | Very close |
| 4 | Corsican | 0.0189 | Very close |
| 5 | Tuscan | 0.0215 | Very close |
| 6 | Swiss (Italian) | 0.0228 | Very close |
| 7 | Spanish (Baleares Menorca, Catalan) | 0.0273 | Close |
| 8 | Vlach Aromanian (Greece) | 0.0273 | Close |
| 9 | Spanish (Baleares Ibiza, Catalan) | 0.0279 | Close |
| 10 | Spanish (Baleares) | 0.0285 | 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 Lombard
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Lombard, Czechia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Libiva (Paleo-Balkan Profile) (Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD) comes first, at 0.017, with Croatia Late Antiquity Sisak (Paleo-Balkan 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 | Czechia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Libiva (Paleo-Balkan Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0172 |
| 2 | Croatia Late Antiquity Sisak (Paleo-Balkan Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0179 |
| 3 | Italy Alto Adige Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Burgusio | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0179 |
| 4 | Hungary Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Avar Period (Paleo-Balkan Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0182 |
| 5 | Croatia Late Antiquity Bubi's Cave (Paleo-Balkan Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0183 |
| 6 | Croatia MBA | Middle Bronze Age | 0.0186 |
| 7 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Early/Middle (North Adriatic Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0190 |
| 8 | Germany Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Thuringian Brucken (Paleo-Balkan Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0190 |
| 9 | Hungary Late Antiquity Roman (Paleo-Balkan Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0191 |
| 10 | Italy Piedmont Early Medieval Lombard Period Collegno (North Adriatic Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0194 |
Ancient DNA from Italy
Our ancient DNA database holds 1,616 individuals excavated in present-day Italy, dated from about 37,855 BC to 1750 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1b (216), G2a (154) and I2a (59), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are T2 (156), H1 (128) and U5 (121). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Lombard population.
Ancient sample data compiled by Nomad on the GenArchivist forum.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups in ancient samples from Italy
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups in ancient samples from Italy
Ancient DNA studies on Italy
- LAYERED GENOMIC COMPOSITION AND LINGUISTIC CONTINUITY IN GRECÌA SALENTINA (2026)
- From prehistory to present-day: How isolation shaped the distinct genomic makeup of Italian Alpine valleys (2026)
- DNA signatures preserved in the official 1978 sample collection of the Shroud of Turin (2026)
- Ancient DNA analyses of remains of the Medici family (16th century) provide insights into the genetic variation of Plasmodium falciparum (2026)
- The Etruscans of Felsina: Reconstruction of the Genetic Profile and Biological Connections with Italic and Transalpine Populations from the Villanovan Period to the Roman period. (2026)
- DNA Traces on the Shroud of Turin: Metagenomics of the 1978 Official Sample Collection (2026)
- Ancient genomes from the siege and destruction of Middle Bronze Age Roca Vecchia (Apulia, Italy) shed light on Aegean contacts and conflicts (2025)
- The shifting dynamics of ancestry and culture at a post-Roman crossroads (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 1,616 from Italy.
Compare yourself with Lombard
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Lombard average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Lombard 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 Lombard. 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.
Thanks: to Nomad (GenArchivist) for the population and ancient sample collection this atlas is built on, and to Davidski (Eurogenes) for Global25.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Lombard average. For your own DNA, Advanced Ancestry Report (16€) gives a full ancestry breakdown with no regional focus, in a personal PDF report.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Lombard?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Lombard average is about 61.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 33.7% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 4.8% 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 Lombard?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Italian (Lombardy, Lombard)), the closest modern populations to the Lombard average are Northern Italian, Corsican and Tuscan. The closest ancient matches are Czechia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Libiva (Paleo-Balkan Profile), Croatia Late Antiquity Sisak (Paleo-Balkan Profile) and Italy Alto Adige Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Burgusio.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Lombard?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Lombard 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 Lombard ancestry?
None of our regional reports is built for Lombard ancestry, so the full Advanced Ancestry Report (no regional focus) is the better choice. The DNA Mega-Analysis adds Neanderthal %, traits and closest ancient populations. The free Report Finder checks every report against your own DNA first.
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.