Spanish Romani (Gitanos) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Spain · Southern Europe
The Gitanos, or Calé, are the Romani people of Spain. Groups of Roma are first recorded in Iberia in 1425, after a long migration from northern India through the Middle East and the Balkans. Today most Gitanos speak Spanish, often mixed with Caló, which pairs Spanish grammar with Romani vocabulary, and Gitano culture is closely tied to the history of flamenco. This page uses a Madrid Roma sample. In our model, the South Asian heritage appears as 18.8% South Asian hunter-gatherer related ancestry (Irula proxy), less than in Balkan Roma (26.3%), while Iberian-like ancestry is larger: 42.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 25.4% steppe and 3.7% Western hunter-gatherer, the last absent from the Balkan average. No modern average is close: other Spanish Roma samples, from Bilbao and Madrid, come at 0.0271 and 0.0284, Balkan Roma at 0.0501 and Turks from the European side of Canakkale at 0.0651. The closest ancient group, early modern Roma from Barc in Albania, is also distant (0.0487).
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 42.5%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 25.4%, South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 18.8%
- Closest population outside the Spanish Roma samples: Romani (Balkans), distance 0.0501
- Closest ancient group in our data: Albania Early Modern Barc Roma, distance 0.0487
Spanish Romani (Gitanos) 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 Spanish Romani (Gitanos) individuals sampled in Spain, listed in the G25 sheet as "Roma_Madrid". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Spanish Romani (Gitanos) average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Spanish Romani (Gitanos) average, 42.5%, goes to Anatolian Neolithic farmers, ahead of Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (25.4%) and South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) (18.8%). 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 (25.4%) 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.
Smaller traces of Western hunter-gatherers, Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) and Caucasus hunter-gatherers (under 5% each) 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 0.018), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. 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.
Drom – Roma & Romani Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to Spanish Romani (Gitanos)
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Roma (Bilbao) first for Spanish Romani (Gitanos), at 0.027, then Roma (Spain Madrid) and Romani (Balkans). Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Romani (Balkans) (0.050), Turkish (Canakkale Europe) (0.065) and Balkan Turkish (Rumelia) (0.065). By the tenth closest (Ashkenazi Jew (Russia)) the distance grows to 0.081, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roma (Bilbao) | 0.0271 | Close |
| 2 | Roma (Spain Madrid) | 0.0284 | Close |
| 3 | Romani (Balkans) | 0.0501 | Moderate |
| 4 | Turkish (Canakkale Europe) | 0.0651 | Moderate |
| 5 | Balkan Turkish (Rumelia) | 0.0654 | Moderate |
| 6 | Turkish (West Thrace) | 0.0687 | Moderate |
| 7 | Abdal | 0.0690 | Moderate |
| 8 | Turkish (North Thrace) | 0.0691 | Moderate |
| 9 | Chitak (Greece Eastern Macedonia and Thrace) | 0.0800 | Distant |
| 10 | Ashkenazi Jew (Russia) | 0.0807 | Distant |
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 Spanish Romani (Gitanos)
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Spanish Romani (Gitanos) average is Albania Early Modern Barc Roma (Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD), at 0.049. France Late Antiquity Sarrebourg (Crimean Greek Profile) and Hungary Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Avar Period (East Asian-Mixed Profile) come 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 | Albania Early Modern Barc Roma | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0487 |
| 2 | France Late Antiquity Sarrebourg (Crimean Greek Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0693 |
| 3 | Hungary Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Avar Period (East Asian-Mixed Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0718 |
| 4 | Turkey Anatolia Late Medieval Capalibag (Turkish Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0719 |
| 5 | Germany Late Medieval Ashkenazi Jew Erfurt (Eastern Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0723 |
| 6 | Moldova IA Scythian Glinoe (East Asian-Mixed Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0760 |
| 7 | Ukraine IA Scythian Bilsk (East Asian-Mixed Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0771 |
| 8 | Georgia UP Dzudzuana | Upper Palaeolithic | 0.0776 |
| 9 | Hungary BA Szolad | Bronze Age | 0.0793 |
| 10 | Stavropol LBA-EIA Koban Novozavedennoye | Early Iron Age | 0.0794 |
Ancient DNA from Spain
Our ancient DNA database holds 1,704 individuals excavated in present-day Spain, dated from about 430,000 BC to 1652 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1b (262), I2a (90) and E1b (68), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are H (182), U5 (179) and H1 (159). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Spanish Romani (Gitanos) population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Spain
- Investigating ancient human DNA preservation on cave walls and in rock art (2026)
- The genetic landscape of northeastern Iberian communities from the early to late Iron Age (2026)
- Analysis of medieval burials from Ibiza reveals genetic and pathogenic diversity during the Islamic period (2026)
- Uncovering a Medieval Pogrom: Genetic History of a Jewish Community in Catalonia (Spain) (2026)
- Genetic and historical perspectives on the early medieval inhumations from the Menga dolmen, Antequera (Spain) (2025)
- 'Guess Who?': Forensic genetics and archaeology converge to identify Cristopher Columbus descendants. (2025)
- Further insights into maternal and paternal human histories in southern Iberia (2025)
- The human skull from the siege of La Loma (Santibáñez de la Peña, Palencia, Spain) (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 1,704 from Spain.
Compare yourself with Spanish Romani (Gitanos)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Spanish Romani (Gitanos) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Spanish Romani (Gitanos) 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 Spanish Romani (Gitanos). 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 Spanish Romani (Gitanos) average. Your own DNA has its own story: Drom – Roma & Romani 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 Roma/Romani ancestry: deep South Asian founder streams, the Persian/Central Asia route, the Byzantine Anatolia route, and regional Roma core versus outside host admixture, across 9 communities (Calé/Spanish...
More populations from Southern Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Spanish Romani (Gitanos)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Spanish Romani (Gitanos) average is about 42.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 25.4% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 18.8% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Spanish Romani (Gitanos)?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Roma (Bilbao)), the closest modern populations to the Spanish Romani (Gitanos) average are Romani (Balkans), Turkish (Canakkale Europe) and Balkan Turkish (Rumelia). The closest ancient matches are Albania Early Modern Barc Roma, France Late Antiquity Sarrebourg (Crimean Greek Profile) and Hungary Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Avar Period (East Asian-Mixed Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Spanish Romani (Gitanos)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Spanish Romani (Gitanos) 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 Spanish Romani (Gitanos) ancestry?
For the Spanish Romani (Gitanos) average, the regional report to choose is Drom – Roma & Romani 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.