Samoan DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Samoa · Oceania
Samoa lies near the heart of western Polynesia, and its islands were settled about 2,800 years ago by seafarers of the Lapita culture, who had come through Vanuatu and Fiji from the Bismarck Archipelago. Samoan, a Polynesian language, and the fa'a Samoa, the Samoan way of life, remain central to the islands and to large communities in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. In our model, the Samoan average is 82.0% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmer, the Austronesian-related component that ultimately traces back to Taiwan and southern China, and 18.0% Papuan and Near Oceanian, picked up through contact in Near Oceania. That Papuan-related share is smaller than in the Tongan (24.5%) or Micronesian (25.2%) averages. Interestingly, the closest modern average is not Tongan (0.049) but Tahitian (0.0213), from eastern Polynesia, which was settled later from the west. The closest ancient group is modern-era Maori and Moriori from New Zealand (0.0321), also eastern Polynesians.
- Ancient components in our model: Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers 82.0%, Papuan and Near Oceanian 18.0%
- Closest modern population in our data: Tahitian, distance 0.0213
- Closest ancient group in our data: New Zealand Early-Late Modern Maori/Moriori, distance 0.0321
This page sums up what the DNA of the Samoan sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Samoa, 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 Samoan average
The ancient make-up of the Samoan average is led by Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers (82.0%), followed by Papuan and Near Oceanian (18.0%). The Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic rice and millet farmers of southern China, whose descendants spread into Southeast Asia. The Papuan and Near Oceanian share (18.0%) reflects the ancestry of the first peoples of New Guinea and Australia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
The fit is loose (fit distance 0.042), 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. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific Report
Closest modern populations to Samoan
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Samoan average is Tahitian, at a distance of 0.021 (very close). Next come Bajo at 0.040 and Tongan at 0.049. By the tenth closest (Manggarai (Bere)) the distance grows to 0.075, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tahitian | 0.0213 | Very close |
| 2 | Bajo | 0.0404 | Close |
| 3 | Tongan | 0.0490 | Close |
| 4 | Kambera (Wunga) | 0.0566 | Moderate |
| 5 | Micronesian | 0.0573 | Moderate |
| 6 | Kambera (Rindi) | 0.0598 | Moderate |
| 7 | Anakalangu | 0.0613 | Moderate |
| 8 | Makassarese (Konjo Kajang) | 0.0684 | Moderate |
| 9 | Mamanwa | 0.0739 | Moderate |
| 10 | Manggarai (Bere) | 0.0749 | Moderate |
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 Samoan
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Samoan, New Zealand Early-Late Modern Maori/Moriori (Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD) comes first, at 0.032, with Indonesia Sulawesi Early-Late Modern Topogaro next. 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 | New Zealand Early-Late Modern Maori/Moriori | Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD | 0.0321 |
| 2 | Indonesia Sulawesi Early-Late Modern Topogaro | Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD | 0.0434 |
| 3 | French Polynesia 150BP | c. 1800 AD | 0.0483 |
| 4 | Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Na Island Early Modern | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0548 |
| 5 | Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Nan Madol Early Modern Isokelekel Period | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0557 |
| 6 | Indonesia Morotai EBA Aru Manara | Early Bronze Age | 0.0566 |
| 7 | Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Nan Madol Saudeleur Period | Saudeleur period, c. 1100-1630 AD | 0.0569 |
| 8 | Indonesia Kayoa N Gua Uattamdi | Neolithic | 0.0578 |
| 9 | Indonesia Komodo High Medieval Majapahit Ntodo Leseh | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0849 |
| 10 | Indonesia Flores N-Proto-Metallic Liang Bua | Neolithic | 0.0864 |
Ancient DNA from Samoa
Our database lists the ancient DNA studies linked to Samoa below.
Ancient DNA studies on Samoa
Compare yourself with Samoan
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Samoan average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Samoan 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 Samoan. 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 Samoan average. Your own DNA has its own story: Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific 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 Austronesian / Indo-Pacific ancestry: ancient regional core (the Taiwan Neolithic homeland, the Lapita culture, Guam Unai and Latte periods, the Medieval voyage to Madagascar) versus non-regional outside...
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Samoan?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Samoan average is about 82.0% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers and 18.0% Papuan and Near Oceanian. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Samoan?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Samoan average are Tahitian, Bajo and Tongan. The closest ancient matches are New Zealand Early-Late Modern Maori/Moriori, Indonesia Sulawesi Early-Late Modern Topogaro and French Polynesia 150BP.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Samoan?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Samoan 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 Samoan ancestry?
For the Samoan average, the regional report to choose is Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific 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.