Schmutz Lines of Descent

brief highlights pertaining to Schmutz Family genealogy and the publicly posted DNA results from the Schmutz Y DNA project

This webpage was first posted on November 29, 2008 and last updated on September 20, 2009 by Sheila (Stark) Schmutz sheila.schmutz@usask.ca This is a private webpage that provides information in support of the Schmutz Surname Project at FTDNA. Data from other such companies is included when publicly available or provided by a participant. Please address corrections and additions to her.

To me, genealogy is the study of family history and heritage across time and geography. Genealogy involves sociology, history, geology and perhaps psychology but not necessarily biology. Y DNA is bare bones biology. It provides no context or interpretation of indication of the caring relationships in families. It should therefore not be surprising that the results of genealogical studies and Y DNA studies will not always be in perfect agreement. A difference in biology does not negate our shared heritage.

The drawings below are an attempt to capture some of this information in a visual format. The drawing simply shows one line of descent from an ancestor through males. That is because Y DNA can only be used for males descended from males. In most cases there are many male lines of descent, plus some other lines of descent where female Schmutz are descended and have sons and/or daughters. Once there is a daughter though, the Y of her sons comes through her husband's line to her sons and of course her daughters do not get a Y at all but an X chromosome from both their mother and their father.

Schmutz Settlers in the United States from Switzerland

Schmutz is a common name in Switzerland. The drawing above shows two Schmutz men who settled in Utah that descend from a Swiss ancestor. Both men match at YDNA markers tested by Sorenson Molecular Genetics.

Schmutz Ancestors from Germany

So far only a single Schmutz man from Germany has been tested. He settled in Canada, but all of his known ancestors were in Germany. See his line at the right. His YDNA haplotype is very different from the two men above with a Swiss ancestor. This may suggest that this name, with a "meaning", was adopted by more than one man. It will be very interesting to see which Schmutz immigrants to other countries match the Swiss or German men tested so far. Or will their be yet another Schmutz ancestor with a unique haplotype?

There were other Schmutz families in Dornstadt who may or may not be related to the participant or each other. It would seem likely that at least some are related. These data on these Familienregister pages was found on FHL International Film 1053443, "Kirchenbuch, 1702-1902, Katholische Kirche Dornstadt (OA. Blaubeuren)" and were transcribed by Sheila Schmutz in May 2009.

Schmutz Y DNA Results

Schmutz Family Locations in 1995

The information in the table above is from "The World Book of Schmutzes" published by Halbert's Family Heritage in the U.S.A. in 1995, through a mail order promotion. The data are known to be incomplete but they may indicate an approximate proportional distribution of Schmutz families at that time.

Immigrants to North America

A partial listing of Schmutz immigrants is on a separate page.

Links to Sites about Country of Origin

GeoGen A database that is searchable by Surname and shows both the proportional distribution of current residences with that name as head of household and the actual number for earch province in Germany

On a Schmutz message board at RootsWeb from 2000, Dave Schmutz stated that there were 16 villages in Switzerland which had Schmutz families before 1800 and refers to a website with a map. Sadly this website is now down since 2004. If someone has a copy of that map, I'd be happy to post it here. In the meantime here is a map of Germany, Switzerland and Austria from www.Atlapedia.com

Links to Sites with Schmutz Family Genealogy Data and History

Genealogical information can be supported or confirmed by Y DNA data. However Y DNA data alone can not trace ancestry.

Links to Other Related Sites about Y DNA

• Schmutz Family Y DNA project at FTDNA
This is the site to view the actual haplotype data and sign up to participate if you are not already tested and would like to be.
• YSearch
This website allows men who have been tested to look for matches, even if they were tested with a company other than FTDNA
• Y European Matches
This website allows anyone to enter 15 common markers and see if they have matches. The identity of the matches nor their email is revealed but their place of origin in shown on a map.
• Sorenson Molecular Genealogy
• Ancestry DNA
• The Genographic Project
Another Y DNA project co-hosted by National Geographic that Schmutz men could participate in, if they know their ancestor's country of origin (you can participate in more than one with the same DNA sample)
• Wikipedia Y DNA haplogroup Explanation

Aims and Limitations of this Webpage

In the fall of 2008, a few people interested in Schmutz family genealogy began corresponding about confirming the genealogical data many people have both individually and jointly collected, using Y DNA. I will do my best to update the page periodically, using the information posted on public websites.

Note that the names of the participants and their Fathers are not shown to protect the privacy of the individuals. If individuals do not wish their line to be shown at all, please contact me and I will respect your wishes.

FTDNA provides estimates of the average MAXIMUM distance to a common ancestor based on the number of markers that are different between two men, or alternatively on the cumulative number differences across the markers. The microsatellie markers chosen for testing by these various companies are prone to mutation and that's why they work well for studies of migration and genealogy. Microsatellite markers are runs of repeats - 12, 13, 14 CT or AG in a row, for example. Occasionally a microsatellite will not occur in an individual and this is called a null allele. It only takes a single deletion to eliminate a microsatellite and so a score of 0 is really of no greater significance than a difference of 12 and 13. Both types of mutation have been seen in Y DNA studies.

One should not expect to take these estimates of distance literally in a specific family. A mutation happens, when it happens. This can be between a father and his son, even though the estimated distance stated on the FTDNA charts is much longer than a single generation.

Participants should participate with the full knowledge that they may find out that they do not match the ancestor they expected to. This can be a heart wrenching experience. Many families have adopted children over the years and these adoptions were not openly discussed in some periods, as they are now. Giving the child the name of its adopted family was considered the norm and a sign of the strong esteem in which the child was held. Also see this excellent webpage on "paternity events".

Please email sheila.schmutz@usask.ca for further information or to join the Schmutz Y DNA project!