With all this Brexit nonsense it really gets you thinking, what does it mean to be British?
Well… A lot actually because according to research by AncestryDNA, the genetic make up of the average Brit is just 36.94 percent Anglo-Saxon, with the remainder being made up largely of Celtic, Scandinavian, Western European, Iberian, and Southern European DNA, as well as other genes from all across the world.
This is based on an analysis of the genetic history of 2 million people worldwide using AncestryDNA’s home testing kits, which harness microarray-based autosomal DNA testing techniques to create a full profile of a person’s genome.
From nothing more than a DNA sample, the test is able to analyse more than 700,000 locations within this genome, tracing DNA back over 500 years to 26 different regions around the world. Pretty impressive right?
Within the UK, the people of Yorkshire – home to the likes of Game of Thrones star Sean Bean – have the highest proportion of Anglo-Saxon DNA, with an average of 41 percent. Londoners, meanwhile, were found to have the greatest mix of non-British genes, with the highest concentrations of DNA from 17 of the 26 global regions found among residents of the capital. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering London is probably the most multi-cultural city in the UK.
London Ethnic Groups
On average, 21.59 percent of each British persons genetics are of Celtic origin, with 19.91 percent coming from Western European countries like Germany and France, 9.2 percent coming from Scandinavia, and 3.05 percent coming from Iberia (bit of a random one).
Looking closer at regional differences, the people of Wales have the highest proportion of Spanish and Portuguese DNA, while Scots have the most Finnish and Northwest Russian genes and those from the east of England have more Italian and Greek ancestry than other Brits.
Commenting on these findings, AncestryDNA spokesperson Brad Argent explained that “at a time when the concept of British identity is at the forefront of many people’s minds, it’s interesting to see that when it comes to our ancestry, we’re not as British or Irish as we may think.”
