There are 3 people in Group 1 (one additional member since the previous update in 2017). One is a Maley, one O'Maley, and the third is O'Malley. But interestingly, even though they each have a different surname variant, they are all 3rd cousins to each other. They share the same great great grandfather on their direct male lines, namely John O'Maley, born about 1795 in Galway. This is their MDKA (Most Distant Known Ancestor). Their MRCA (Most Recent Common Ancestor) is one generation below this - his son, Michael O'Maley born in Boston, MA in 1845 (see diagram below).
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| (click to enlarge) |
All three have done the Y-DNA-111 test which tests for 111 STR markers. Among these 111 markers there are 3 mutations in total - 2 on the descendant line from James 1876, 1 on the descendant line from Joseph 1887, and none on the descendant line from John 1874. This translates into a Genetic Distance of 1/111, 2/111 and 3/111 for the three cousins (as illustrated in the diagram below). As they are 3rd cousins to each other, there have been 4 cell divisions (i.e. DNA transmission events or meioses) along the path of each of their direct male lines from their MRCA (Michael 1845), giving us a total of 12 transmission events for all three cousins together. Thus, over the course of these 12 DNA transmissions (dating from 1845), 3 mutations have occurred. This gives an average of 1 mutation every 4 generations (over the 111 markers tested).
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| Direct Male Line pedigrees of Group 1 members (also available on our Pedigree Page) |
SNP Results
One group member has done the Big Y test. His terminal SNP was A8611 (Jun 2017) but is now BY37245. The terminal SNP will be further revised as more people do the Big Y test, thus revealing the finer "more downstream" branches in this particular section of the Tree of Mankind.
The SNP Progression for this group is shown below. The SNP Progression is the sequence of SNP markers that characterise each branching point in the Tree of Mankind, starting "upstream" at the SNP marker for the major Haplogroup (Haplogroup I in this case) and ending "downstream" with the project member's current terminal SNP:
- I-M170 > P215 > CTS2257 > L460 > P37 > M423 > CTS5375 > L161 > S2639 > L1498 > A1150 > A8611 > BY37245
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| Big Y Block Tree with the BY37245 branch far left (click to enlarge) |
Ancestral Origins
We can get important clues to the likely origins of a particular group by examining the surnames and locations of their DNA matches. There are several sources for this information:
As we saw in the Big Y Block Tree above, only 1 other person sits on the BY37245 branch and that is an O' Bryan but with no ancestral location specified (although the surname is most likely to be Irish in origin). Furthermore, the nearby branches to Group 1 on the Tree of Mankind are more than 3000 years old so the surnames & locations of people on these branches are not likely to be hugely informative for Group 1's origins within the last 1000 years. Unfortunately surnames are not displayed on the Big Y Block Tree and only some people have included ancestral origins. Nevertheless, you can see from the flags in the diagram above that "Old World" origins for this part of the Tree of Mankind are centred around Ireland or Britain.
There is limited information on surnames & locations on the Big Y Block Tree because not many people have done the Big Y test. There is potentially more information in the I2a Haplogroup Project (which includes people who have not done the Big Y). The administrators of the project have placed the Group 1 member in the BY37245 subgroup of the Isles B3 subgroup which itself is a subgroup of I2a2b (known elsewhere as I2a1b). [1] In this BY37245 subgroup, two additional people are included - O'BRIEN & CASHIN (Tipperary). (As an aside, it would be very helpful if these people did the Big Y test.) Adjacent branches have surnames and locations which suggest that the deeper origins (3000+ years ago) are in Britain (see Table below). Unfortunately not everyone has included an ancestral location so again only limited conclusions can be drawn from the available data.
The I2a Haplogroup is thought to have originated in Eastern Europe / Western Asia around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum (approximately 20,000 years ago) and the I2a2b/I2a1b subclade is found in particular high concentrations in Western Ireland (5-10%) and the Scottish Highlands (1-5%). It is likely to have arrived in Ireland before the Celts (i.e. some time before 2000 BC) and thus is a very old genetic group. [2,3]
Another source of information is the surnames of the STR matches of Group 1. The following ancestral surnames (and locations) appear among the STR matches for Group 1 members: CASHIN (Tipperary), CASHEN, VOLLBRECHT, O'BRIEN (Ireland), O BRYAN, GLEASON. In addition, one of the Group 1 members has tested at Genebase where he has a match (Genetic Distance 1/26) to someone called NEALON.
- the Big Y Block Tree
- the relevant Haplogroup & Geographic Projects
- the surnames of the STR matches of the individuals within a particular genetic group
As we saw in the Big Y Block Tree above, only 1 other person sits on the BY37245 branch and that is an O' Bryan but with no ancestral location specified (although the surname is most likely to be Irish in origin). Furthermore, the nearby branches to Group 1 on the Tree of Mankind are more than 3000 years old so the surnames & locations of people on these branches are not likely to be hugely informative for Group 1's origins within the last 1000 years. Unfortunately surnames are not displayed on the Big Y Block Tree and only some people have included ancestral origins. Nevertheless, you can see from the flags in the diagram above that "Old World" origins for this part of the Tree of Mankind are centred around Ireland or Britain.
There is limited information on surnames & locations on the Big Y Block Tree because not many people have done the Big Y test. There is potentially more information in the I2a Haplogroup Project (which includes people who have not done the Big Y). The administrators of the project have placed the Group 1 member in the BY37245 subgroup of the Isles B3 subgroup which itself is a subgroup of I2a2b (known elsewhere as I2a1b). [1] In this BY37245 subgroup, two additional people are included - O'BRIEN & CASHIN (Tipperary). (As an aside, it would be very helpful if these people did the Big Y test.) Adjacent branches have surnames and locations which suggest that the deeper origins (3000+ years ago) are in Britain (see Table below). Unfortunately not everyone has included an ancestral location so again only limited conclusions can be drawn from the available data.
The I2a Haplogroup is thought to have originated in Eastern Europe / Western Asia around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum (approximately 20,000 years ago) and the I2a2b/I2a1b subclade is found in particular high concentrations in Western Ireland (5-10%) and the Scottish Highlands (1-5%). It is likely to have arrived in Ireland before the Celts (i.e. some time before 2000 BC) and thus is a very old genetic group. [2,3]
Another source of information is the surnames of the STR matches of Group 1. The following ancestral surnames (and locations) appear among the STR matches for Group 1 members: CASHIN (Tipperary), CASHEN, VOLLBRECHT, O'BRIEN (Ireland), O BRYAN, GLEASON. In addition, one of the Group 1 members has tested at Genebase where he has a match (Genetic Distance 1/26) to someone called NEALON.
Two O'Malley "clans" are mentioned in surname dictionaries and Ancient Annals, one in Mayo (famous for Grace O'Malley) and one in the old Kingdom of Thomond (on the Limerick / Clare border) but there may be other origins for the surname. O'Brien is a prominent Irish surname with "clan territories" in and around county Clare. In the mid-1800s the highest concentrations were in south-west Ireland (in the province of Munster), specifically the counties Limerick, Clare, Tipperary & Cork (see map below). Gleason was heavily concentrated in Tipperary. Cashen is an unusual Irish surname and distribution maps suggest ancestral origins in the area around counties Kilkenny, Tipperary & Laois (see maps below).
The overlap between these surnames suggests that the ancestral origins for Group 1 (within the last 1000 years or so) could lie somewhere between Clare & Kilkenny. This could tie in with historical associations with the Kingdom of Thomond, but this is merely a theory and would need to be proved.
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| Distribution of Malley surname in Ireland in the mid-1800s (from www.johngrenham.com) |
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| Distribution of O'Brien surname in Ireland in the mid-1800s (from www.johngrenham.com) |
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| Distribution of Gleeson surname in Ireland in the mid-1800s (from www.johngrenham.com) |
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| Distribution of Cashen surname in Ireland in the mid-1800s (from www.johngrenham.com) |
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| Distribution of Nealon surname in Ireland in the mid-1800s (from www.johngrenham.com) |
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| Possible origins of Group 1 in the past 1000 years (click to enlarge) |
Chicken or Egg?
So which came first? O'Maley, Cashin or O'Bryan? or some other surname? It is difficult to say. Here is what we do know:- The direct male line of Group 1 bore the O'Maley name as far back as 1845 (their MRCA).
- Before that, there may have been an SDS (Surname or DNA Switch), or the O'Maley name may have gone all the way back along the direct male line to the formation of the O'Maley name approximately 1000 years ago. [4]
- Allowing 30 years per generation, the chances of an SDS between 1000 AD and 1845 are 24-42% (say about 33%) [5]
- And therefore there is a 67% chance (approximately) that, in this group, the pairing of the Maley name and the DNA signature of Group 1 continues along the Direct Male Line for 1000 years to the origin of their Maley surname.
Conclusions
- Group 1 has origins in Galway in the late 1700s.
- Prior to that their origins are probably Irish but the precise location is not clear.
- The close STR match with people called O'BRIEN, GLEASON and CASHIN / CASHEN suggests a possible origin (within the last 1000 years) somewhere between counties Clare & Kilkenny.
Group members have been carrying the same Y-DNA and surname (with minor variations) since 1845 but prior to that there may have been a Surname or DNA Switch (33% probability since 1000 AD).
Is there an association with an Irish "clan"?
None is apparent at this point in time. However, given the area of their possible origin, there may be an association with the O'Malley's of Thomond (Limerick / Clare).
What are the Next Steps?
More people are needed to join the FTDNA database in order to get closer matches and establish the more precise origins of this group and how long their DNA signature has been associated with the Maley surname.
Maurice Gleeson
May 2019
Notes & Sources
[1] Nomenclature varies due to frequent revisions and is thus confusing. Be warned. Alternative nomenclature for this group is I2a1b.
[2] 12a Haplogroup Project on FTDNA ... https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/i-2a-hap-group/about/background
[3] Haplogroup I2 page on Eupedia ... https://www.eupedia.com/europe/Haplogroup_I2_Y-DNA.shtml#I2a1b
[4] There are many possible causes for a Surname or DNA Switch (SDS) including swearing allegiance to the Clan Chief, a young widow remarries and her children take her new husbands name, adoption, etc. You can read more here.
[5] The SDS rate is approximately 1-2% per generation. Allowing 30 years per generation translates into roughly 27 generations between 1000 AD and 1845. Therefore the overall SDS rate over this time period can be calculated using the following formula: 1-(0.99^27) to 1-(0.98^27)
[2] 12a Haplogroup Project on FTDNA ... https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/i-2a-hap-group/about/background
[3] Haplogroup I2 page on Eupedia ... https://www.eupedia.com/europe/Haplogroup_I2_Y-DNA.shtml#I2a1b
[4] There are many possible causes for a Surname or DNA Switch (SDS) including swearing allegiance to the Clan Chief, a young widow remarries and her children take her new husbands name, adoption, etc. You can read more here.
[5] The SDS rate is approximately 1-2% per generation. Allowing 30 years per generation translates into roughly 27 generations between 1000 AD and 1845. Therefore the overall SDS rate over this time period can be calculated using the following formula: 1-(0.99^27) to 1-(0.98^27)
A big thank you goes out to Patti Easton who judiciously complied the O'Malley pedigrees submitted by group members. Patti was co-administrator from 2017 to 2019, when she left to pursue other interests.
Has this a connection with my results or is it to come later.Maurice
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