Neufeld Family Genealogy & DNA

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Location: [unknown]

Notes on Neufeld family relationships.

Mennonite DNA Project Y Chromosome Data Discussion: January 2022 by Tim Janzen tjanzen@comcast.net

The Low German Mennonite DNA Project Y chromosome data is available for download as an Excel spreadsheet. The headings are self-explanatory. There is a dark gray row between each surname. Thick black lines separate the various subgroups within surnames if there is more than one progenitor for that surname.

In a few cases, it is unclear if a haplotype belongs in a specific subgroup. In such cases there is a question mark after the number in the subgroup column. Y chromosome STR marker values that are different from the modal value are highlighted in yellow. In such situations, a mutation has occurred within the past 500 years or so in one of the lineages from the original progenitor of that surname or subgroup. If the earliest known ancestors were known to be brothers the names of the brothers are highlighted in blue. The FTDNA kit numbers for new participants since the last update a year ago are highlighted in green. In some situations there is additional information for some multi-copy markers such as DYS459, DYS 464, and CDY on the Family Tree DNA website that is not included in the spreadsheet and the cells in the spreadsheet are highlighted in brown where this is the case. The information wasn’t included in the spreadsheet for simplicity, but the data can be found in the project’s website at https://www.familytreedna.com/public/menno/default.aspx?section=yresults after any project member has logged into the FTDNA website. Null values for DYS 425 have been highlighted in pink.

The comments below apply to the currently available Y chromosome marker results pertaining to the Low German Mennonite DNA project. Individual surnames are commented on only if there are results for a least one person from two or more unconnected lineages with that surname or if there is Y SNP or subclade information that is of interest. It should be kept in mind that the data for many men who have been tested by the SMGF are incomplete and that as more complete haplotypes become available for these men the conclusions based on the currently available partial haplotypes could potentially change.

The numbers referred to for people in the comments are their Grandma numbers as they currently appear in the Grandma database. The abbreviation “NPE” stands for “non-parental event”. A non-parental event is a situation where a boy does not inherit the Y chromosome of the male head of household he is raised with due to an adoption, an illegitimate birth, or a name change. A haplotype is a set of marker results for a given individual. The term recombinational loss of heterozygosity (RecLOH) is also used. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RecLOH for more information about this term. A terminal SNP is the most recently occurring Y chromosome SNP in a specific individual that has been placed on the Y chromosome SNP tree.

For a more complete glossary of terms used in genetic genealogy see http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Genetics_Glossary. Some haplotypes have been linked to specific regions or population groups by DNA researcher Ken Nordvedt. The haplotypes are generally associated with those regions prior to the time when surnames came into existence and the progenitor who had the surname in question may not have lived in the region that the haplotype is associated with.

Click on symbol to view Grandma OnLine #s of the most distant reliably known Neufeld ancestors.

Link for other Mennonite family names tested:

http://www.mennonitedna.com/Mennonite_DNA_project_Y_chromosome_data_discussion_2022-01.pdf

Link for Mennonite Genealogy by Glenn H. Penner

https://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/prussia/Prussian_Mennonite_Genealogy_Guide_2021.pdf

65. Neufeld.

There are at least partial results back for 18 different unconnected Neufeld families.

The haplotypes are consistent with each other with the exception of mutations which have occurred at some markers, suggesting that these families all descend from the same Neufeld progenitor.

The descendants of Abraham Neufeld (1736-1815) #100650,

Jacob Johann Neufeld (b. 1824) #6514,

Johan Neufeldt (d. ca 1794) #197028, and

Dirk Johann Neufeld (1767-1833) #134086

who have been tested all have a value of 16 at DYS 458 and have a value of 12 at DYS 442 whereas the other Neufelds who have been tested have a value of 15 at DYS 458 and generally have a value of 12 at DYS 442.

This would suggest that Abraham Neufeld (1736-1815) #100650, Jacob Johann Neufeld (b. 1824) #6514, Johan Neufeldt (d. ca 1794) #197028 and Dirk Johann Neufeld (1767- 1833) #134086 were closely related to each other.

This haplotype has been linked to the Anglo-Saxons by DNA researcher Ken Nordtvedt.

A male Neufeld has done the BigY test and has been found to have the terminal SNP I-FT201757.

Two other men who have done the BigY and who share this terminal SNP but do not have the Neufeld surname trace their ancestry to Germany and to Poland.

My Understanding:

There are 18 Neufeld groups that have been identified. They are all related to a single “Neufeld progenitor.” Y-DNA is showing the Neufelds are related even if the records cannot be found to verify the connection(s).

Out of the 18 Neufeld groups, there is one group that, in addition, seem to be more closely related to each other as well as the other 18 groups.

The Mennonite DNA project is now analyzing the autosomal DNA results triangulating clusters of test results in attempt to find some missing links. They are likely to find some. Will the records be there to verify the genealogical data? It seems that answer may be no.

What does that mean?

While we may not be able to document our genealogical relationships, we can treat one another as if we are relatives and work together to try to find the connecting documentation. With the databases of WikiTree and Grandma OnLine, it seems a possibility of seeing results of the DNA proven eventually. It seems the DNA testing is true. Only the sources remain to be discovered. Dewey Neufeld-430 and GMA#1108406.

Information from Jacob H. Neufeld-428 (GMOL# 400269):

I was his first grandchild. Grandpa tried to tell me the Neufelds were all related even if they spelled their names differently:

• Neufeld;
• Neufeldt;
• Neufield;
• Newfeld;
• Newfield.
• I don't remember if he mentioned Niefelt.
• (DNA seems to confirm this). Grandpa seemed to want me to be sure I knew we were all part of the same family.

Dewey Neufeld-430 (#1108406)

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