Telugu DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · India · South Asia
Telugu is the most widely spoken Dravidian language, with more than 80 million speakers, mainly in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on the Deccan plateau and the east coast of India. The region was the base of dynasties such as the Satavahanas and the Kakatiyas. In our model, the Telugu average is 73.8% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 19.0% Iranian Neolithic farmer and 7.2% steppe. Compared with the Tamil average further south (5.4% steppe, 17.4% Iranian-related), Telugu speakers carry slightly more of both northern-derived sources, in line with the gradual north to south gradient across India. The striking feature is how tight the southern cluster is: the ten nearest averages, from the Narikuravar (0.0113), Reddy and Velama samples to Tamil, Kannadiga and Sri Lankan groups, all fall within 0.014. The closest ancient group is the South Asian profile at Roopkund, around 800 AD, at 0.0356, closer than for the Tamil (0.0451) or Kannadiga (0.0832) averages.
- Ancient components in our model: South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 73.8%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 19.0%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 7.2%
- Closest modern population in our data: Narikuravar, distance 0.0113
- Closest ancient group in our data: India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile), distance 0.0356
This page sums up what the DNA of the Telugu sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in India, 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 Telugu average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Telugu average, 73.8%, goes to South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), ahead of Iranian Neolithic farmers (19.0%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (7.2%). The South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) component reflects the deep hunter-gatherer ancestry of South Asia (Ancient Ancestral South Indians). The Iranian Neolithic farmers share (19.0%) reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.031): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. 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.
Sindhu – South Asian Report
Closest modern populations to Telugu
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Telugu average is Narikuravar, at a distance of 0.011 (very close). Next come Telugu (Reddy Telangana) at 0.012 and Tamil (Yadav Pondicherry) at 0.012. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Narikuravar (0.011), Tamil (Yadav Pondicherry) (0.012) and Tamil (Mudaliar Tamil Nadu) (0.012). Even the tenth closest, Sri Lankan, is only 0.014 away: Telugu belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Narikuravar | 0.0113 | Very close |
| 2 | Telugu (Reddy Telangana) | 0.0120 | Very close |
| 3 | Tamil (Yadav Pondicherry) | 0.0122 | Very close |
| 4 | Tamil (Mudaliar Tamil Nadu) | 0.0123 | Very close |
| 5 | Telugu (Velama) | 0.0131 | Very close |
| 6 | Tamil (Vellalar) | 0.0133 | Very close |
| 7 | Kannadiga (Kuruba Karnataka) | 0.0134 | Very close |
| 8 | Velamas | 0.0138 | Very close |
| 9 | Tamil | 0.0138 | Very close |
| 10 | Sri Lankan | 0.0139 | 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 Telugu
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Telugu average is India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile) (c. 800 AD), at 0.036, followed by Iran EBA Shahr-i-Sokhta (IVC Profile) and Pakistan IA Aligrama. 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 | India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile) | c. 800 AD | 0.0356 |
| 2 | Iran EBA Shahr-i-Sokhta (IVC Profile) | Early Bronze Age | 0.0786 |
| 3 | Pakistan IA Aligrama | Iron Age | 0.0959 |
| 4 | Pakistan HP Butkara | Historical period | 0.1025 |
| 5 | Pakistan HP Aligrama | Historical period | 0.1124 |
| 6 | Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif | Historical period | 0.1211 |
| 7 | China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile) | Northern Zhou dynasty, 557-581 AD | 0.1228 |
| 8 | Pakistan IA Katelai | Iron Age | 0.1340 |
| 9 | Pakistan HP Barikot | Historical period | 0.1350 |
| 10 | Pakistan IA Gogdara | Iron Age | 0.1368 |
Ancient DNA from India
Our ancient DNA database holds 59 individuals excavated in present-day India, dated from about 2,350 BC to 1860 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R2a (4), H1a (3) and J2b (3), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are M3 (6), H1 (4) and U2 (4). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Telugu population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on India
- Blending borders: reconstructing the genetic history of the Sindhi population (2026)
- Blending borders: reconstructing the genetic history of the Sindhi population (2026)
- The Old Lady spider cave skeletons in Ladakh have diverse maternal genetic origin (2026)
- Layers in the sand: The genetic imprint of migration, culture, and Indus craft in the Thar desert (2026)
- Admixture and Genetic Connectivity: Autosomal Insights Into Indo-Aryan Speakers at the Eastern Edge of the Indian Subcontinent (2026)
- Novel 4400-year-old ancestral component in a tribe speaking a Dravidian language (2025)
- Ancient mitogenomes from Neolithic, megalithic and medieval burials suggest complex genetic history of Kashmir valley, India (2025)
- 50,000 years of evolutionary history of India: Impact on health and disease variation (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 59 from India.
Compare yourself with Telugu
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Telugu average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Telugu 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 Telugu individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Telugu. 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 Telugu average. Your own DNA has its own story: Sindhu – South Asian 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 South Asian ancestry: ancient regional core (Indus Valley Civilization, BMAC, Steppe migration, Himalayan Iron Age & Classical layers) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 13 communities (Punjabi...
More populations from South Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Telugu?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Telugu average is about 73.8% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 19.0% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 7.2% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Telugu?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Telugu (Reddy Telangana)), the closest modern populations to the Telugu average are Narikuravar, Tamil (Yadav Pondicherry) and Tamil (Mudaliar Tamil Nadu). The closest ancient matches are India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile), Iran EBA Shahr-i-Sokhta (IVC Profile) and Pakistan IA Aligrama.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Telugu?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Telugu 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 Telugu ancestry?
Sindhu – South Asian Report is our regional report for this part of the world. On the Telugu average its fit test reads partial, so check your own DNA first: the free Report Finder runs that test on your file.
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.