Our project is open to any male of the surname Pitts, Pits, Pittes, Pytts or Pitt or to any female or male who believes that they descend from a Pitts or a variant surname. Participants are sought from all parts of the USA, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Oceania and anywhere else the Surname may be found.

Project Discussion: The DNA information is to be used in conjunction with historical and traditional research. Y-DNA (male line) results do prove that a relationship exists or does not exist. However, traditional paper trail research is necessary to establish how you are related. If the Y-DNA matches do not agree with the traditional genealogy, then the paper trail relationship is incorrect. At other times Y-DNA results may point to an unknown adoption in the family, or some other so-called surname discontinuity event (change in surname).

The Surname Project traces members of a family that share a common surname. Females don't carry their father's Y-DNA and they acquire a new surname by the way of marriage so the tested individual for the y chromosome test must be a male that wants to check his paternal line (father's father's father's...). The test to be ordered is either the Y-DNA111, Y-DNA67, or Y-DNA37, and females may want to look for a brother or male cousin with that surname to be tested.

Females with Pitts ancestry can also participate in the project by ordering the Family Finder test for themselves. In fact males can also take this autosomal test involving 22 of the chromosomes in order to investigate both their male and female lines. This autosomal DNA test only proves a relationship exists when there is a match. With this test, failure to match does not eliminate the possibility of a relationship. Family Finder Test Information

Click here to place an order for a DNA test at Family Tree DNA

What are the specifics?

  • The test will be conducted by Family Tree DNA of Houston TX, the World's leading testing company for Surname DNA Projects. The cost per participant is dependent on the number of markers tested, but all tests include an estimate of the Haplogroup (an indication of deep ancestry). We personally recommend the largest number of markers that you can afford. We expect that most serious researchers will eventually upgrade to 67 markers - if they don't start there. Either the 25 or 37 marker test can be useful in identifying other families that share a common ancestor. It is almost certain that a 12 marker test will ultimately require an upgrade. We do not recommend the 12 marker test for most people.

    • The test is a simple cheek swab. The kit will arrive and leave your house by mail. You simply rub the inside of your cheek a number of times with a special scraper (it doesn't hurt), put the kit back into the envelope, and put it in the mail.

    • If you are interested in participating, please contact one of the Project Administrators listed below and submit your pedigree (list of ancestors). Example Pedigrees are shown on the Patriarch page.

    Please read "Everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask" If you still have questions, contact one of the Project Administrators listed below.



    Pitts Family Forum
    Click here to order a Pitts DNA test

    For more information on the relationship between DNA testing and traditional genealogy, visit World Families Network.



    For more information contact:

    Nancy McClellan at: nanmc at bellsouth.net

    David Pitts at: paw281 at sbcglobal.net

    John Pitts at: johnholwaypitts@gmail.com

    Susan Squires at: Susan.Squires at gmail.com




    This page was last updated on June 22, 2021

    Webmaster David Pitts