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Lambert DNA Home

Our project seeks to establish relationships among individuals with The Lambert Surname (and related surnames) on a worldwide basis. Our objectives include determining the degree of kinship among Lamberts within the United States/Canada and seeking connections with Lamberts in England, Ireland, France, Germany, and elsewhere for possible sites of origin prior to emigration to America. We include all spelling variations, such as Lambard, Lamberth, Lambeth, Lambreth, Lamburt, Lombard, and Lumbert.

These relationships will be explored by analysis of the Y chromosome DNA, which is part of the biology of all men. Women also may participate in the project by collaborating with a brother, father, or other close relative with the surname Lambert. The experimental capabilities of genetics has reached the point that laboratories can provide a detailed DNA analysis on the basis of a small sample obtained by a process that takes about two minutes and consists of lightly brushing the inside of the cheek. The results of the test are a series of numbers that define a small segment of the Y DNA that is considered to be most able to distinguish individuals. DNA Analysis is described in more detail on a later page.

There are a number of Lambert Lines in the United States. Some of these are described in a later page. We hope to be able to determine whether these lines go back to recent common ancestors, and we hope to establish genetic links between immigrant Lambert lines in the US, Canada, and elsewhere with parent lines in England, Ireland, and the Continent.

Test Results are posted and interpreted as they are obtained. DNA analysis is the first alternative to be found to the so-called paper trail for establishing genealogical lineages. It offers an exciting new approach, based on solid science, to explore who our ancestors were. New genetic techniques are constantly being established, so that current technology will certainly evolve. The genealogical yield through DNA analysis is maximized by having participation by the largest possible number of Lamberts. Analyses are carried out by FamilyTreeDNA, a commercial company that has no financial, legal, or personal connections with the Lambert DNA Project. To participate, please fill out and send an Application Form . The cost of a test that measures 12 DNA markers is $99, and the cost of the more precise test that measures 25 DNA markers is $169. One can upgrade from the 12 to the 25 marker test for $90, as FamilyTreeDNA retains your sample and can carry out additional tests at a later date. Results are entirely confidential, as covered by Legal Matters.

You may contact the Lambert DNA Project administrator, Joseph B. Lambert, by E-mail at jlambert@northwestern.edu. At the time that you sign up, please send to the administrator your male lineage back to your earliest Lambert ancestor. The first person on the list would be yourself (or your male relative for a woman contributor), then your father, his father, that man’s father, and so on as far back as your paper trail goes. Please supply the locations where the earliest Lambert lived, the name of his spouse if known, and his birth and death dates.