Swiss German DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Switzerland · Western Europe
German-speaking Switzerland covers the north, centre and east of the country, where Swiss German, a group of Alemannic dialects, is spoken alongside standard German. The Alemanni settled the area after the end of Roman rule, but genetically the line between German and French speech matters little. In our model, Swiss Germans are 47.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 41.7% steppe and 10.8% Western hunter-gatherer, much closer to the French average (48.7% farmer, 39.7% steppe) than to the German average (40.7% and 46.6%). French samples from the Nord (distance 0.0103), Alsatians, the French average and Belgians all come before the first German sample, from Baden-Wurttemberg (0.0149). The closest ancient groups are medieval people from Sint-Truiden in Belgium, at around 0.013, and early medieval individuals with a Western European profile from Avar-period cemeteries, part of a broad western Central European pool.
- Ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 47.5%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 41.7%, Western hunter-gatherers 10.8%
- Closest modern population in our data: French Oïl (Hauts-de-France Nord), distance 0.0103
- Closest ancient group in our data: Belgium High Medieval Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile), distance 0.0126
Swiss German 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 Swiss German individuals sampled in Switzerland, listed in the G25 sheet as "Swiss_German". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Swiss German average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Swiss German average comes out as 47.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 41.7% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 10.8% Western hunter-gatherers. 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 (41.7%) 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.
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.031): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Closest modern populations to Swiss German
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts French Oïl (Hauts-de-France Nord) first for Swiss German, at 0.010, then Alsatian and French. Even the tenth closest, Occitan (Southern France), is only 0.018 away: Swiss German belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French Oïl (Hauts-de-France Nord) | 0.0103 | Very close |
| 2 | Alsatian | 0.0113 | Very close |
| 3 | French | 0.0114 | Very close |
| 4 | Belgian (group C) | 0.0117 | Very close |
| 5 | French Oïl (Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais) | 0.0127 | Very close |
| 6 | French Oïl (Bourgogne-Franche-Comte Doubs) | 0.0128 | Very close |
| 7 | Belgian | 0.0130 | Very close |
| 8 | Belgian (group B) | 0.0136 | Very close |
| 9 | German (Baden-Wurttemberg Ellwangen) | 0.0149 | Very close |
| 10 | Occitan (Southern France) | 0.0182 | 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 Swiss German
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Swiss German, Belgium High Medieval Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile) (High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD) comes first, at 0.013, with Belgium Early-High Medieval Merovingian-Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro 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 | Belgium High Medieval Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile) | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0126 |
| 2 | Belgium Early-High Medieval Merovingian-Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile) | Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD | 0.0129 |
| 3 | Belgium Early Medieval Merovingian-Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0133 |
| 4 | Belgium Late Medieval Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0139 |
| 5 | Belgium Early-Late Modern Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile) | Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD | 0.0149 |
| 6 | Hungary Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Avar Period (Western Euro Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0150 |
| 7 | Hungary Early Medieval Conqueror Period (Western Euro Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0154 |
| 8 | Sweden Early Medieval Viking Age Oland (Western Euro Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.0154 |
| 9 | Denmark Early Medieval Viking Age Langeland (Western Euro Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.0156 |
| 10 | Hungary LIA Sarmatian (Western Euro Profile) | Late Iron Age | 0.0157 |
Ancient DNA from Switzerland
Our ancient DNA database holds 110 individuals excavated in present-day Switzerland, dated from about 11,748 BC to 1790 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are G2a (33), R1b (15) and I2a (8), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are K1 (18), H1 (9) and H11 (8). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Swiss German population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Switzerland
- Geographic origin, ancestry, and death circumstances at the Cornaux/Les Sauges Iron Age bridge, Switzerland (2024)
- Bioarchaeological analyses reveal long-lasting continuity at the periphery of the Late Antique Roman Empire (2023)
- La transition génomique Néolithique/Âge du Bronze en Suisse (2020)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 110 from Switzerland.
Compare yourself with Swiss German
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Swiss German average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Swiss German 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
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Swiss German individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Swiss German. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
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 Swiss German 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Swiss German?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Swiss German average is about 47.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 41.7% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 10.8% 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 Swiss German?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Swiss German average are French Oïl (Hauts-de-France Nord), Alsatian and French. The closest ancient matches are Belgium High Medieval Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile), Belgium Early-High Medieval Merovingian-Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile) and Belgium Early Medieval Merovingian-Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Western Euro Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Swiss German?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Swiss German 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 Swiss German ancestry?
None of our regional reports is built for Swiss German 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.