Duggan Y-DNA Study

By Karen C Caton
This is an update on the status of the Y-DNA results for the Duggan DNA Project. Only ‘straight-line’ male
descendants of the Duggan/Dugan line are eligible to participate in this study, as it involves comparing
the Y-DNA, which is passed from father to son. If you were to follow the top line of a standard family
tree chart for a male, this tiny bit of genetic material passes, without change, from father to son,
generation after generation.
As a result, the Y-DNA should look essentially the same today, in all straight-line Duggan men who
descend from Hugh Duggan, b. 1740 of Sevier Co., TN (“Hugh1”). Once we confirm the Y-DNA of Hugh1,
we can then similarly use this bright line test to determine whether Hugh1 has common ancestry with
various other Dugan groups.1
Over the last several years, the Duggan DNA project has followed the Y-tests that have been taken by
various Duggan/Dugan men, and has even sponsored some of these tests, in order to document the
results. The general findings are as follows.
1. We now have at least one test from EACH of the six known sons of Hugh1. We also have one
Irish Duggan with a preliminary match.
2. EACH line shared the same basic Y-DNA Haplogroup: I-M233.
3. Three of these lines have done more advanced testing, and consistently shared the more refined
Y-DNA Haplogroup: I-Y7273.
4. Two separate ‘Big-Y’ tests have been commissioned, from two separate lines, and they
produced the same more refined result: I-FT165298.
Generations Basic Y-DNA Advanced Advanced
Name Ancestor (Line from Hugh1)
From Hugh1 Haplogroup Test Test II
Tim Dugan
8 Frank2, GeoWm3-1810 m. Nancy Coe
Y-37 I-M223
Timothy Duggan
7
Y-37 I-M223
Robt2, Wils3-1803 m. Eliz Keeler
Carlton H Duggan
Unk I-M223
Y-67
Allen Bush 7
Stephen (Allen's son) 8
Robt2, Robt3 m. Cassandra Dunn I-M223
Douglas (Allen's son) 8 I-Y7273
Y-DNA at 23andME

Charles Duggan 7 John2, Jas3-1807 m. Laura McKenzie I-M223 I-Y7273 FT165298

Y-DNA111, Big-Y
Gary Duggan 9
Hugh2, John3-1790 m. Jemima Martin
Y-37 I-M223
Richard W. Duggan 7
Dan2, Abs3-1811
Y-DNA111, Big-Y I-M223 I-Y7273 I-FT165298
Edward Brooks Burke 8
Wm2, Hugh3-1790 I-M223
Y-DNA12

Donald Duggan n/a John Dougan born circa 1785 Dromore,

Y-37 Down, Ireland I-M223

1
It is important to remember that there are an abundance of Dugan families from Ireland, and much like Smith
and Jones in the United States, they are not all related. Y-DNA can begin to sort which may share common
ancestry, and it can confirm lines that do NOT.
For those interested in the Subclade chain, the following chart will take you from the most generic
placements, down to the most specific. Any result on this chain would be consistent with Hugh1
Ancestry.

Hugh1-1740 Descendants
I-L758 Y-DNA
I-M170
I-P215
I-CTS2257
I-L460
I-P214
I-M223 aka I-2a2a
I-P222
I-CTS616
I-CTS10057
I-Z161
I-FGC3575
I-S2452
I-L801
I-Z165
I-CTS6433
I-S2364
I-S2361
I-Z171
I-CTS8584
I-Z185
I-Z180
I-Z166
I-FT73935
I-Y6060
I-Y7273
I-FT165298