I had my dna analysed by Ancestry and was then able to send the data to MyHeritage so I received two verdicts on my ethnicity. Both are largely as expected - mostly north-west European, mostly England. I know I have English and German forebears so that figures.

But the MyHeritage results also give me 12% Iberian Peninsula. I mentioned this to a friend and she suggested the Spanish Armada ... perhaps the invaders left some offspring in England? I don't know enough history to research this. But I suppose it's possible, since the family tree that I know about doesn't go back far enough to pick up any Spanish/Portuguese/other south European names.

Has anyone else learnt that they have some Iberian Peninsula dna? Any idea what it might mean?

venna2 - 2019-04-19 16:46:00

The ancestry of modern Iberians (comprising the Spanish and Portuguese) is consistent with the geographical situation of the Iberian Peninsula in the south-west corner of Europe. ... The Basque region holds the least Eastern Mediterranean ancestry in Iberia.Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar, and a small part of France are on the Iberian Peninsula, with Spain and Portugal making up most of the area.

carbs51 - 2019-04-19 18:07:00

Spain was a large part of the Roman empire and many Spaniards were members of their legions. Over the 400 odd years Rome occupied Britain many Spaniards likely served and took their retirement there. Actual Italians only made a small percentage of the legions that were sent to the far flung parts of the empire. Re the Armada, many of the shipwrecked Armada crews came ashore In Ireland and The Isle of Man and settled there. One of their descendants became the President of Eire. Incidentally there were almost as many Dutch sailors in the Armada as Spaniards as Spain ruled Holland in those days. So there are at least those two options for Iberian ancestry in your line.

coop19 - 2019-04-19 22:03:00

Thanks coop19, history obviously isn't my strong point and those options sound as if they could be quite likely.

venna2 - 2019-04-20 16:53:00

I have 47% English, 36% North West European, Scandinavian 11% and Baltic 5% on My Heritage. Ancestry tell me I'm 53% English and 47% Scottish. I used to have Scandinavian on Ancestry until the last update.

mousiemousie - 2019-04-20 20:41:00

My great grand father was half Portuguese, a whaler but my DNA shows only 6% which is about right but where the 10% Scandinavia came from is anybodies guess, probably all those Scottish grannies plus some Vikings long ago?
Point is it is all an interesting puzzle.

raf55 - 2019-04-22 20:28:00

As coop said, sailors from the Armada fleet shipwrecked when they were driven up the east coast and around the top of England in the North Sea and Irish sea wound up on English and Irish shores and some of those that survived were absorbed into the local populations where their descendants are still found today.

Edited by morticia at 6:16 pm, Tue 23 Apr

morticia - 2019-04-23 18:14:00

Here is the link to an article about the Iberian Peninsula turning up in DNA tests. http://whoareyoumadeof.com/blog/2017/05/08/what-is-the-iberi
an-peninsula-dna-ethnicity/
It is quite comprehensive. For me, it shows my matrilineal side originated in the Basque territory - so I have taken some interest in it.

devine-spark - 2019-04-30 01:47:00

Thanks for that, devine-spark, I shall read it with interest.

venna2 - 2019-04-30 08:41:00