Finding Your X-Chromosome Matches
Family Tree DNA recently added a new tool to the Family Finder results page, X-Chromosome matches.
Using this tool one can view their X-chromosome matches by going to their Personal Page, click on “Advanced Matches”, “X-Matches”, then on “Run Report”. Also, by filling in the “last name starts with” box one can search for a specific person.
Aside from searching on the Advanced Search page for only the X-chromosome one may include those matches which also include a Y-DNA and/or mt-DNA match.
The information shown from these search results give: Name of the match, regardless of sex; the Y-DNA haplogroup and/or the mt-DNA haplogroup of the match and one’s Family Finder “cousin” relationship.
DNA 101-X Chromosome
Who gets an X-Chromosome?
Males inherit a Y-chromsome from their father and an X-chromosome from their mother. Males pass the Y-chromosome they inherited from their father to their male offspring and the X-chromosome they got from their mother to their daughter.
The following diagram shows male inheritance of the X-chromosome:
The following fan chart shows male inheritance of the X-chromosome. Notice all the matches are on the maternal side (right) of the chart. The pink colors represent females and the blue colors represent males on the maternal side. Also notice the % sign. These figures represent the average % one receives from a relative in the indicated generation.
Females inherit one X-chromosome from each of their parents. Females pass along only one of these X-chromosomes to their sons and daughters. The X-chromosome passed along to their offspring could be the one the mother inherited from her father or from her mother.
The following fan chart shows female inheritance of the X-chromosome. Notice matches are on both the maternal (right) side and the paternal (left) side of the chart. The pink colors represent females and the blue colors represent males.
In my personal case, in Family Finder I currently have 17 X-Chromosome matches, 6 of whom are males and 11 of whom are women.
Of my matches, two are 2nd cousins, two are 3rd cousins, five are 4th cousins and eight are 5th cousins.
I have made a “page” on my website at https://yourfamilytree.micbarnette.com/mics-tree/ which lists my lineage from myself backward through ten-plus generations.
The lineage or pedigree chart is an Ahnentafel chart. Pick up any large multi-generational chart, be it a 3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 or more generation chart, or even a Fan Chart. Look at the numbers. They are all the same. They all use the Ahnentafel numbering system.
On the chart I am #1, my father #2, my mother #3.
My paternal grandfather is twice the number of my father, or, #4 and my paternal grandmother is twice my father plus 1 or #5.
To get the number of my grandfather’s father one would double my grandfather’s number, and so forth.
My maternal grandfather is twice the number of my mother or #6 and my maternal grandmother is twice my mother’s number plus 1, or, #7.
Likewise, to get the number of my grandmother’s father one would double my grandmother’s number, and so forth.
Below, in Blue, are the Ahnentafel numbers for ancestors in each generation on a Fan Chart a male and female would inherit from his or her mother. Remember, a male only inherits an X-chromosome from his mother.
In Pink are the Ahnentafel numbers for ancestors in each generation on a Fan Chart a female would inherit from her father. Remember, a female inherits an X-chromosome from her mother, as well as, one from her father, so, she inherits two X chromosomes.
First Generation (Self)
Second Generation (2 Parents)
From mother (1): 3
From father (1): 2
Third Generation (3 Grandparents)
From mother (2): 6, 7
From father (1): 5
Fourth Generation (5 Great Grandparents)
From mother (3): 13, 14, 15
From father (2): 10, 11
Fifth Generation (8 GG Grandparents)
From mother (5): 26, 27, 29, 30, 31
From father (3): 21, 22, 23
Sixth Generation (13 GGG Grandparents)
From mother (8): 53, 54, 55, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63
From father (5): 42, 43, 45, 46, 47
Seventh Generation (21 GGGG Grandparents)
From mother (13): 106, 107, 109, 110, 111,117, 118, 119, 122, 123, 125, 126, 127
From father (8): 85, 86, 87, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95
Eighth Generation (26 GGGGG Gandparents)
From mother (21): 213, 214, 215, 218, 219, 221, 222, 223, 234, 235, 237, 238, 239,245, 246, 247, 250, 251, 253, 254, 255
From father (5): 170, 171, 173, 174, 175
Ninth Generation (53 GGGGGG Grandparents)
From mother (32): 429, 430, 431, 437, 438, 439, 442, 443, 445, 446, 447, 469, 470, 471, 474, 475, 477, 478, 479, 490, 491, 493,
491, 495, 501, 502, 503, 506, 507, 509, 510, 511
From father (21): 341, 342, 343, 346, 347, 349, 350, 351, 362, 363, 365, 366, 367, 373, 374, 375, 378, 379, 381, 382, 383
Tenth Generation (74 GGGGGGG Grandparents)
From mother (52): 858, 859, 861, 862, 863, 874, 875, 877, 878, 879, 885, 886, 887, 890, 891, 893, 894, 895, 938, 939, 941, 942, 943, 949, 950, 951, 954, 955, 957, 958, 959, 981, 982, 983, 986, 987, 989, 990, 991, 1002, 1003,1005, 1006, 1007,1013, 1014, 1015, 1018, 1019, 1021, 1022, 1023
From father (32): 682, 683, 685, 686, 687, 693, 694, 695, 698, 699, 701, 702, 703, 725, 726, 727, 730, 731, 733, 734, 735, 747, 748, 749, 751, 757, 758, 759, 763, 764, 765, 767
Note: The X-Chromosome charts are from FTDNA and the Fan Charts are from Blaine Bettinger www.thegeneticgenealogist.com/
