Y-DNA

Folks, the DNA testing labs are in a price war. The 37 marker Y-DNA test from Family Tree DNA which is the test I most recommend for the project is only $119 + $4 S/H. This is the lowest I've ever seen it and $70 off the regular price! If you've been considering being tested, now is the time!! The discount expires on August 31st and the kit must be paid for before then. I'll need your Gilbert lineage from you to join the project, but we can follow up after you order:

Here are all the discounts currently available. Please feel free to order any test 37 markers or above, but I wouldn't go for the 12 or 25 marker tests.

Y-DNA12 orders include a FREE mtDNA test (Y-DNA12+mtDNA promotion price of $99; normally $189)
Y-DNA25 orders include a FREE mtDNA test (Y-DNA25+mtDNA promotion price of $148; normally $238)
Y-DNA37 orders price REDUCED to $119 (normally $189)
Y-DNA37+mtDNAPlus orders price REDUCED to $189 (normally $339)
Y-DNA67+mtDNAPlus orders price REDUCED to $288 (normally $409)
mtDNAPlus price REDUCED to $149 (normally $189)

Gilbert

English (of Norman origin), French, and North German: from Giselbert, a Norman personal name composed of the Germanic elements gisil ‘pledge’, ‘hostage’, ‘noble youth’ (see Giesel) + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’. This personal name enjoyed considerable popularity in England during the Middle Ages, partly as a result of the fame of St. Gilbert of Sempringham (1085–1189), the founder of the only native English monastic order.
Jewish (Ashkenazic): Americanized form of one or more like-sounding Jewish surnames.

Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

About the Project

The Gilbert Y-DNA Project was started on Jan. 15, 2005 and is open to anyone who can contribute DNA from a male carrying the Gilbert name or suspected Gilbert paternity. You can join the project with a specific goal in mind such as connecting with one of the currently tested lines, or just to have your results available for a possible future match. As project administrator, I will be here to assist with interpreting results.

Recently there have been several instances where people have been hesitant to join the project because their Gilbert line came about as the result of an illegitimacy or adoption. Even if these lines don't have deep roots with the Gilbert surname, they represent a Gilbert line nonetheless and are welcome to join. This also holds true for any African American Gilbert lines or family lines that became Gilbert after a name change.

To be a member of this project, I do require that you send me information on your Gilbert line prior to joining. It doesn't matter how much or how little information you have, just something to help identify your line. Please see the Lineage FAQ for more information.

Note that as project administrator I DO NOT VERIFY THE LINEAGES sent to me. Their accuracy is the responsibility of the researcher. Please consider lineages you see on this website to be the same as all unsourced family information you may find on the Internet. It may or may not be accurate...no matter how many places you see it. If the DNA results support or contradict the lineage, I will note that on the lineage page. It's important understand, however, that DNA cannot PROVE that a lineage is correct. It can prove that there is a connection to a family line, but not how that connection is made.

Can I join the Gilbert project as an mtDNA donor?

Unfortunately this project does not get involved with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) which can be contributed by a male or female donor. As mtDNA follows a straight maternal line, it has no bearing on surnames. Even though a woman's maiden name may have been Gilbert, she received her mtDNA from her mother who hadn't a different maiden name, who got it from her mother who had yet another maiden name, etc... mtDNA also doesn't mutate nearly as readily as Y-DNA, so even a high resolution match just means you share a common maternal ancestor sometime in the past few thousand years. It's of relatively little use from a genealogy standpoint except in the most specific of circumstances. If you'd like to join a project with your mtDNA, consider one based on your haplogroup or geographic maternal roots.

What Does Testing Involve and How Much Does It Cost?

DNA is contributed by the donor scraping the inside of their mouth with either a swab or small brush as provided by the test lab. It does not hurt, and there is no blood involved. If the donor is not the person paying for the test, they can be completely anonymous to the test lab if desired.

The cost of the testing varies based on the test lab you use and the number of markers you request. The more markers, the better, but of course this means greater cost. Please see the Testing Labs page for more information on costs, labs and how many markers to order.

What If I've Already Been Tested? Can I Still Join the Project?

Absolutely! Because I maintain an external website, I can enter results from whatever test company you've used. In addition to your lineage, just send me your DNA results (or provide a link) and I can add your to the results page. If your test company assigned your a kit number or ID of some sort, that would be helpful also.

Mailing List

Join the Rootsweb Gilbert-DNA mailing list to monitor project activity by sending an e-mail with the word "subscribe" in the body of the message to GILBERT-DNA-L-request@rootsweb.com . This is a very low volume list, and you can remove yourself at any time.

Please E-mail me if you have questions or want more information about the project.