Yazidi DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Iraq · West Asia
The Yazidis are an ethno-religious community whose homeland lies in northern Iraq, around the Sinjar mountains and the holy valley of Lalish, with smaller communities in Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Germany. Most speak Kurmanji Kurdish, and their faith has long been passed down within the community, which marries mainly among its own members. In our model, this Iraqi Yazidi average is 31.8% Iranian Neolithic farmer, 27.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 16.0% steppe, 10.1% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, 9.8% Levantine Neolithic and 5.1% Natufian, very close to the Kurdish average (33.9% Iranian Neolithic, 24.3% Anatolian Neolithic and 15.4% steppe). The nearest modern averages are Kurds from Iraq (distance 0.0092), Sorani Kurds from Sulaymaniyah, Kurmanji Kurds from Mardin and Zaza speakers from Turkey, all closer than the Yazidis of Armenia (0.0131), a sign of deep regional roots. Iron Age Hasanlu, in north-western Iran, provides the closest ancient match (0.0215), with Achaemenid-era people with a Zagros profile from Bakr Awa in Iraqi Kurdistan close behind.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Iranian Neolithic farmers 31.8%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 27.1%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 16.0%
- Closest modern population in our data: Kurd (Iraq), distance 0.0092
- Closest ancient group in our data: Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile), distance 0.0215
Where does Yazidi DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Yazidi individuals sampled in Iraq, listed in the G25 sheet as "Yazidi_Iraq" 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 Yazidi average
The ancient make-up of the Yazidi average is led by Iranian Neolithic farmers (31.8%), followed by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (27.1%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (16.0%). The Iranian Neolithic farmers component reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (27.1%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.030): 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.
Ararat – Levant & Caucasus Report
Closest modern populations to Yazidi
Genetically, the Yazidi average sits nearest to Kurd (Iraq) at 0.009, Kurdish Sorani (Iraq Sulaymaniyah) at 0.010 and Kurdish Kurmanji (Turkey Mardin) at 0.011. On our scale, a distance of 0.009 counts as very close. Even the tenth closest, Yazidi (Armenia), is only 0.013 away: Yazidi belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurd (Iraq) | 0.0092 | Very close |
| 2 | Kurdish Sorani (Iraq Sulaymaniyah) | 0.0103 | Very close |
| 3 | Kurdish Kurmanji (Turkey Mardin) | 0.0106 | Very close |
| 4 | Kurd Zaza (Turkey) | 0.0109 | Very close |
| 5 | Kurd Kurmanji (Turkey) | 0.0112 | Very close |
| 6 | Zaza | 0.0115 | Very close |
| 7 | Kurdish Zaza (Dersim) | 0.0116 | Very close |
| 8 | Ezid | 0.0119 | Very close |
| 9 | Kurdish | 0.0126 | Very close |
| 10 | Yazidi (Armenia) | 0.0131 | 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 Yazidi
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Yazidi average is Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) (Iron Age), at 0.022. Iran IA Hasanlu (Irano-Mesopotamian Profile) and Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Zagrosian Profile) come 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 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0215 |
| 2 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Irano-Mesopotamian Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0242 |
| 3 | Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Zagrosian Profile) | Achaemenid era, c. 550-330 BC | 0.0246 |
| 4 | Iran IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0254 |
| 5 | Iran MBA-IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0269 |
| 6 | Iran IA Hajji Firuz (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0276 |
| 7 | Armenia Hellenistic Aghitu (Orontid) | Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC | 0.0293 |
| 8 | Iran Medieval Ganj Dareh | Medieval, c. 500-1500 AD | 0.0300 |
| 9 | Iran High Medieval Khwarazmian-Ilkhanate Kalmakareh Cave | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0341 |
| 10 | Iraq IA Neo-Assyrian-Neo-Babylonian Bakr Awa | Iron Age | 0.0344 |
Ancient DNA from Iraq
Our ancient DNA database holds 11 individuals excavated in present-day Iraq, dated from about 8,750 BC to 1,350 BC. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are F (1), G2a (1) and J (1), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are H (1), HV1 (1) and HV2 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Yazidi population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 11 from Iraq.
Compare yourself with Yazidi
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Yazidi average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Yazidi 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 Yazidi individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Yazidi. 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 Yazidi average. Your own DNA has its own story: Ararat – Levant & Caucasus 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 Levant or Caucasus ancestry: ancient regional core (Levant Iron Age, Caucasus Hunter-Gatherer, Kura-Araxes Bronze Age) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 13 communities (Maronite, Druze, Sunni...
More populations from West Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Yazidi?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Yazidi average is about 31.8% Iranian Neolithic farmers, 27.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 16.0% 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 Yazidi?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Yazidi average are Kurd (Iraq), Kurdish Sorani (Iraq Sulaymaniyah) and Kurdish Kurmanji (Turkey Mardin). The closest ancient matches are Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile), Iran IA Hasanlu (Irano-Mesopotamian Profile) and Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Zagrosian Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Yazidi?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Yazidi 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 Yazidi ancestry?
For the Yazidi average, the regional report to choose is Ararat – Levant & Caucasus 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.