J-M172 (FTDNA-predicted; SNP-confirmation not yet reported at time of publication)
Clade J2
Case study confidence 📍 Galicia (Sedziszow Malopolski), Austro-Hungarian Empire (Ashkenazi)
Also spelled: (no alternate spellings documented in source)
37-marker STR testing of four documented Westreich descendants, plus one Taffel-surname genetic match, all sharing predicted haplogroup J-M172, traced a common paternal ancestor to the Galician rabbinical Westreich line founded by either Rabbi Israel Hillel Westreich (b. c.1720) or his brother Yosef Yoska Westreich (b. c.1750). Illustrates a rabbinical founder effect for an Ashkenazi surname that only became hereditary after Austria's 1805 Galician surname mandate.
Source: Westreich AH. "Using a Y-DNA Surname Project to Dig Deeper into Your Genealogy: A Case Study." Journal of Genetic Genealogy 9:1-14, 2017 (originally published Vol. 8, No. 1, 2016).
How to read this. A surname match means some people with that surname, in a specific study or family record, were found to share a haplogroup, most likely due to a shared patrilineal ancestor generations back. It is not proof that you personally carry that haplogroup: surnames change through adoption, remarriage, non-paternity events, and independent origin of the same name in different families. For your own confirmed haplogroup, test your DNA with our HaploAI Y-DNA/mtDNA predictor.

Carry the Westreich name? Find out if you share this paternal line FamilyTreeDNA lineage tests

Surnames follow the paternal line, and so does the Y chromosome. A FamilyTreeDNA Y-DNA test compares you with other men who carry your surname, inside its free surname projects, and tells you whether you descend from the same ancestor.

Y-DNA tests follow the direct father-to-son line, so they are for men. Women can ask their father, a brother or a paternal uncle to test.

Affiliate links: if you order a FamilyTreeDNA test through these links, Explore Your DNA earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Confirm your real haplogroup from your raw DNA
A surname link is a hint, not a certainty. Upload your raw DNA file and our HaploAI engine predicts your actual Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups directly from your genome.
Explore our ancestry reports

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to visit this site you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more

🧭 Find your report
📬 Stay in the loop

New tools and new reports, straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.