Orcadian DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · United Kingdom · Northern Europe
Orkney is an archipelago off the northern tip of Scotland, famous for Neolithic sites such as Skara Brae. Orcadians were one of the European groups in the Human Genome Diversity Project, so they appear in many classic genetic studies. The islands were Norse from the Viking Age until 1468, when they were pledged to the Scottish crown. In our model, Orcadians are 49.5% steppe-related, 36.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmer and 14.2% Western hunter-gatherer, very close to the Irish (50.3%) and Scottish (49.4%) averages. Their neighbours reflect both sides of their history: after a second Orcadian sample set (distance 0.0066), the nearest averages are the Irish (0.0071) and the Faroese (0.0083), then English and Welsh. Likewise, the closest ancient groups are Viking Age people from Hofstadir in Iceland (0.0099) and High Medieval Faroe Islanders, North Atlantic populations of mixed Norse and Gaelic origin.
- Ancient components in our model: Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 49.5%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 36.3%, Western hunter-gatherers 14.2%
- Closest population outside Orkney in our data: Irish, distance 0.0071
- Closest ancient group in our data: Iceland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Hofstadir, distance 0.0099
Where does Orcadian DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Orcadian individuals sampled in United Kingdom, listed in the G25 sheet as "Scottish_Orkney_(Orcadian)" 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 Orcadian average
The ancient make-up of the Orcadian average is led by Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (49.5%), followed by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (36.3%) and Western hunter-gatherers (14.2%). 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 (36.3%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
The fit is loose (fit distance 0.045), 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.
Nordsee – North Sea Germanic Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to Orcadian
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Orcadian average is Orcadian (other sample set), at a distance of 0.007 (very close). Next come Irish at 0.007 and Faroese at 0.008. Even the tenth closest, Ulster (Scot), is only 0.012 away: Orcadian belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
Most of the closest populations that have their own atlas page (6 of 7) are also from Northern Europe, as geography would predict.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orcadian (other sample set) | 0.0066 | Very close |
| 2 | Irish | 0.0071 | Very close |
| 3 | Faroese | 0.0083 | Very close |
| 4 | English | 0.0096 | Very close |
| 5 | Welsh | 0.0100 | Very close |
| 6 | Cornish | 0.0112 | Very close |
| 7 | Dutch | 0.0115 | Very close |
| 8 | Breton (Finistere) | 0.0118 | Very close |
| 9 | Danish | 0.0119 | Very close |
| 10 | Ulster (Scot) | 0.0119 | 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 Orcadian
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Orcadian average is Iceland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Hofstadir (Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD), at 0.010, followed by Faroes High Medieval and Germany Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Thuringian Obermollern (Northwest Euro Profile). 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 | Iceland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Hofstadir | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.0099 |
| 2 | Faroes High Medieval | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0109 |
| 3 | Germany Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Thuringian Obermollern (Northwest Euro Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0112 |
| 4 | Germany Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Thuringian Deersheim (Northwest Euro Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0113 |
| 5 | Germany High Medieval Rathausmarkt | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0114 |
| 6 | England Saxon | Anglo-Saxon period, c. 450-1066 AD | 0.0118 |
| 7 | Hungary Early Medieval Lombard Period (Northwest Euro Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0119 |
| 8 | Denmark Early Medieval Viking Age Zealand (Mixed Northern Euro Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.0120 |
| 9 | Netherlands Early Medieval Groningen | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0122 |
| 10 | England IA | Iron Age | 0.0123 |
Ancient DNA from United Kingdom
Our ancient DNA database holds 1,753 individuals excavated in present-day United Kingdom, dated from about 12,800 BC to 1844 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1b (471), I2a (152) and I1a (54), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U5 (200), H1 (190) and K1 (150). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Orcadian population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on United Kingdom
- Diachronic reuse of Neolithic burial monuments by Bronze Age newcomers in Southwestern Britain (2026)
- Ancient DNA reveals matrilineal organisation and recurrent unions between dominant matrilines in Iron Age Britain (2026)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 1,753 from United Kingdom.
Compare yourself with Orcadian
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Orcadian average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Orcadian 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 Orcadian. 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 Orcadian average. Your own DNA has its own story: Nordsee – North Sea Germanic 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 North Sea Germanic ancestry: ancient regional core (native British/Dutch/Danish Iron Age, Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxon migration, Viking Age, Frisian Saxon, Anglo-Norman) versus non-regional outside admixture...
More populations from Northern Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Orcadian?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Orcadian average is about 49.5% Steppe herders (Yamnaya), 36.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 14.2% 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 Orcadian?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Orcadian average are Orcadian (other sample set), Irish and Faroese. The closest ancient matches are Iceland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Hofstadir, Faroes High Medieval and Germany Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Thuringian Obermollern (Northwest Euro Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Orcadian?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Orcadian 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 Orcadian ancestry?
For the Orcadian average, the regional report to choose is Nordsee – North Sea Germanic 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.