I have discovered so much about my family from doing this and then also putting a family tree online. I found out I was much more Irish/English than I had believed. No wonder I feel so at home when I am in either country.

I thought 23 and Me was fast, getting my results to me within 3 weeks, but Ancestry DNA only took 11 days from the date they received my sample to the day they issued my reports. I like how they group family relationships under "close family", "1st cousins", 2nd cousins, etc. I do wish they would provide us the capability of seeing how much DNA a relative shares with another relative in our database. 23 and Me does offer that which is very helpful when trying to piece together relationships when you don't want to bother others with sharing invitations. I had found a niece I never knew on 23 and Me, who then led me to Ancestry where I found someone who is either a niece or a half-sister. Very surprising results to say the least! It IS tempting to subscribe to the documents Ancestry offers so you have to have some sales resistance! I did subscribe and have found interesting documents of ancestors, i.e. immigration papers, census records, etc. Plus, it's easy to build a family tree and access other relatives' trees as well. The origins portion was along the lines of 23 and Me results so no surprises there. I didn't find much difference in how they presented those results either. I would like to know the breakdown of British from Scottish and details of where in England my ancestors are from, but I understand there is only one test that goes that far - Living DNA - but it's $119 and for that much I'll just stay in the dark, thank you! If it comes down in price I may consider it. Overall, I recommend Ancestry DNA if for no other reason than the larger database and accessibility of associated products.

Got this for my husband for Christmas, and it was such a fun experience! My entire family wants to get their DNA results now. We have connected with so much family thanks to Ancestry DNA testing!

Very interesting. It was very accurate. Ancestry alerted me that I matched someone on ancestry with my DNA being 1st cousin. I thought no way, This person contacted me through Ancestry and told me that the were adopted and did not know there biological family. They were born and adopted in the state I was born in. After some investigation, we found out that my mother's brother gave up a baby years ago and this was my first cousin. We ( family) had no idea. It's been mind blowing!

Review by Kim England-Before you purchase this product it is important that you know a bit about exactly what ethnicity is. It is not nationality or not necessarily even country of origin. Most people don't understand that ethnicity is inherited RANDOMLY. For argument's sake, let's say you know for certain one parent is 100% (unlikely) Italian, and the other parent 50% Irish and 50% Mexican. This does not mean the the child will be half Italian and a quarter Irish and a quarter Mexican. The child could end up with only 25% Italian or any number of combinations - including part of a different ethnicity altogether from their "deep ancestry" from several generations ago.

Ethnicity is like any other characteristic/trait - a person may favor one parent more than the other. While everyone gets half of their chromosomes from each parent, this is NOT so when it comes to ethnicity. In fact, sometimes a part of one parent's ethnicity may not even get passed down at all. Likewise, it is possible to have a grandparent born in Germany (and for all practical purposes be mostly German), but not have any German passed down to the grandchild. Just like perhaps the eye color isn't the same or the height or hair texture.

Another thing to remember is that the county or origin or nationality is not the same as ethnicity. For example, many people left their homeland to emigrate to Holland. After a generation or so, they adopted the language and customs. Perhaps then they left again and went to America, leaving future generations believing they are Dutch. Then they have their DNA tested and no dutch appears. "How can this be?" they ask. It is because their true ethnicity is not Dutch.

Another instance could be that a particular ethnic group settled in a country and reproduced within their "own group" so to speak. DNA wise, the ethnicity would remain as such until another ethnic line is introduced. Examples of this occur in England, where some peoples tests show a high percentage of Norwegian. A reason for this could be that since the Viking invasion the generations just so happened to mate with others who shared similar Norwegian ethnicity.

Lastly is the "Native American" phenomena. While many people like to believe or have been told that an ancestor was a Native, often this is family lore, or, if indeed it is true, it is not likely to show up in a DNA test. The introduction of an ethnicity in one's ancestry will not likely manifest itself in a high enough percentage to be of significance, although it is possible.

With all that said, once you understand this, ask yourself what it is you are looking to get out of the test. Are you simply curious about your ethnicity? Do you have any interest in your genealogy (family tree)? For those who wish to learn about their genealogy it can be very useful. It is of benefit to have a family tree done and uploaded to Ancestry's website, even if you only know a little. Ancestry has access to so many records and more and more are being made available every day. The problem for many years is that the records weren't "searchable" because they had to be transcribed one by one.

My advice for anyone who wishes to test their DNA is to order the kit and then get a temporary membership or even a one month membership to ancestry (start with the US Discovery membership which is under $20). Then enter your family tree information (individuals who are living are not visible to others). When your results come in, you will be able to see DNA "matches", that is anyone who also tested their DNA and has shared genetic markers with you. Ancestry will tell you in what way they suspect the person connects to you and they are usually spot on. They can even see if a person is a distant cousin (5th through 8th). If your match also has a tree on line, you will be able to view it and see how you connect. I have had several family members test and every time Ancestry's "predicted relationship" was accurate. In other words, my mother came up as "parent/child relationship" and siblings came up as siblings. First cousin matches were accurate as well. One second cousin came up as a third cousin, but that is the only "error" if one can even call it such.

The ethnic portion is very interesting but should be taken more as a estimation. Advances in DNA testing will enable improved accuracy (like getting more specific than "British Isles" or "Asian") but the results are not just "pulled from no where". It is important to read the tutorials on the website. They are well researched and very informative. There is a load of information that would really enlighten many people and answer questions, but I'm not sure if this is happening. The test is quick, easy to do, and offers answers to many questions both on line and on the phone. Often there are sales but even at full price, the cost is worth it in my view.

What this test will NOT do: test for diseases or health conditions, nor will it show genetic mutations or if one is a carrier of a particular trait.This kit serves those best who are interested in genealogy, however, do keep in mind that with DNA all closets become unlocked, and more than a few have been made aware of some unexpected relations.