Mordvin DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Russia · Eastern Europe
The Mordvins are one of the largest Uralic-speaking peoples of Russia, living in Mordovia, in the middle Volga region, and in many communities beyond it. They speak two related languages, Erzya and Moksha, and both groups are represented in our data. In our model, the Mordvin average is 35.2% steppe-related, 30.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 21.9% Eastern hunter-gatherer, 7.7% Western hunter-gatherer and 4.6% East Asian. That is far more western than the Mari (20.4% farmer) or Udmurts, and it brings the Mordvins close to their Russian neighbours: after the Erzya (distance 0.0053) and Moksha (0.0090) samples, the nearest averages are Russians from Kostroma (0.0147) and Krasnoborsky, then Karelians from Tver and the Veps. The closest ancient group is an early medieval population with a Uralic profile from Vladimir (0.0263), from the time when Uralic-speaking peoples such as the Merya and Muroma still lived in the Volga-Oka region, later absorbed into the Russian lands.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 35.2%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 30.5%, Eastern hunter-gatherers 21.9%
- Closest non-Mordvin population in our data: Russian (Kostroma), distance 0.0147
- Closest ancient group in our data: Russia Vladimir Early Medieval (Uralic Profile), distance 0.0263
Mordvin is one of the 335 modern populations in our population genetics atlas. The numbers on this page describe the average Global25 (G25) genome of the Mordvin individuals sampled in Russia, listed in the G25 sheet as "Mordovian". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Mordvin average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Mordvin average comes out as 35.2% Steppe herders (Yamnaya), 30.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 21.9% Eastern hunter-gatherers. The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) component 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 Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (30.5%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
Smaller traces of East Asian (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 loose (fit distance 0.057), 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. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Closest modern populations to Mordvin
Genetically, the Mordvin average sits nearest to Mordvin (other sample set) at 0.003, Erzya at 0.005 and Mordvin (Moksha) at 0.009. On our scale, a distance of 0.003 counts as very close. Even the tenth closest, Karelian (Southern), is only 0.029 away: Mordvin belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mordvin (other sample set) | 0.0032 | Very close |
| 2 | Erzya | 0.0053 | Very close |
| 3 | Mordvin (Moksha) | 0.0090 | Very close |
| 4 | Russian (Kostroma) | 0.0147 | Very close |
| 5 | Russian (Krasnoborsky) | 0.0190 | Very close |
| 6 | Karelian (Tver) | 0.0245 | Very close |
| 7 | Russian (Chuvashia) | 0.0250 | Close |
| 8 | Karelian (Southeast, Ludic) | 0.0287 | Close |
| 9 | Veps | 0.0287 | Close |
| 10 | Karelian (Southern) | 0.0288 | 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 Mordvin
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Mordvin average is Russia Vladimir Early Medieval (Uralic Profile) (Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD), at 0.026, followed by Russia Vladimir Late Modern (Slavic Profile) and Russia Voronezh IA Semiluk. 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 | Russia Vladimir Early Medieval (Uralic Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0263 |
| 2 | Russia Vladimir Late Modern (Slavic Profile) | Late Modern, c. 1800-1950 AD | 0.0272 |
| 3 | Russia Voronezh IA Semiluk | Iron Age | 0.0292 |
| 4 | Sweden Early Modern Kalmar (Mixed Finnic-Slavic Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0308 |
| 5 | Russia Vladimir Late Medieval (Slavic Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0339 |
| 6 | Russia Voronezh IA Scythian Kolbino (Balto-Slavic-Mixed Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0354 |
| 7 | Russia Vladimir Early Modern (Slavic Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0363 |
| 8 | Russia Ivanovo High Medieval Viking Age (Uralic Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.0374 |
| 9 | Finland High Medieval Palkane Rauniokirkko | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0377 |
| 10 | Russia Vladimir High Medieval Viking Age (Slavic Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.0384 |
Ancient DNA from Russia
Our ancient DNA database holds 2,938 individuals excavated in present-day Russia, dated from about 208,050 BC to 1918 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1a (370), R1b (317) and N1a (235), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U5 (367), U4 (226) and U2 (150). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Mordvin population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Russia
- The Yeniseian and Andronovo Substrates in the Gene Pools of the Indigenous Southern Siberian Populations Analyzed by Q and R1a Y-Haplogroups (2026)
- Ancient genomics study reveals low HLA diversity in eastern hunter-gatherers (2026)
- Comparison of Illumina NovaSeq 6000, GeneMind SURFSeq 5000, Salus Evo, and MGI DNBSEQ-G400 for Ancient DNA Whole-Genome Sequencing (2026)
- Biochip for Determination of 92 Human Y-Chromosome Haplogroups by SNP Markers and Frequency Distribution of These Haplogroups in Slavic Population of European Russia (2026)
- Modern descendants of Kyordyughen warrior (Yakutia, 4200 years before present) in populations of Far East (2026)
- Genetic history of Rus' (2025)
- Paratyphoid Fever and Relapsing Fever in 1812 Napoleon’s Devastated Army (2025)
- Pre-Slavic and Slavic Interaction at Eastern Periphery of Slavic Expansion in Northeastern Europe (Y-Gene Pools of Volga-Oka Region) (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 2,938 from Russia.
Compare yourself with Mordvin
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Mordvin average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Mordvin 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 Mordvin. 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 Mordvin average. For your own DNA, Advanced Ancestry Report (16€) gives a full ancestry breakdown with no regional focus, in a personal PDF report.
Comprehensive DNA analysis comparing your genetics to over 2,000 modern reference populations.
More populations from Eastern Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Mordvin?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Mordvin average is about 35.2% Steppe herders (Yamnaya), 30.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 21.9% Eastern hunter-gatherers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Mordvin?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Mordvin average are Mordvin (other sample set), Erzya and Mordvin (Moksha). The closest ancient matches are Russia Vladimir Early Medieval (Uralic Profile), Russia Vladimir Late Modern (Slavic Profile) and Russia Voronezh IA Semiluk.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Mordvin?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Mordvin 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 Mordvin ancestry?
None of our regional reports is built for Mordvin 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.