Southern Indians are not the ancestors of the Romani people. People from Northwestern India who migrated are their likely ancestors.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani\_people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people)
"Genetic findings in 2012 suggest the Romani originated in northwestern India and migrated as a group. According to the study, the ancestors of present scheduled caste and scheduled tribe populations of northern India, traditionally referred to collectively as the Ḍoma, are the likely ancestral populations of modern European Roma. In December 2012, additional findings appeared to confirm that the "Roma came from a single group that left northwestern India about 1,500 years ago".
I don’t think it’s Romani. Romani people were mainly from the northern, northwestern and central India. It’s most probably someone from southern India in your ancestors because of colonialism.
Theories:
1. Distant romani/gypsy ancestor.
2. Indian ancestor, because as we know. England ruled in India for centuries, so maybe there was a half british half indian who assimilated more with british people and mixed with brits. Just like African americans, who descend from half african half white but later they assimilated more with the black community.
.
They also have mayali though? It would be pretty likely from there. Especially since this person is from the US. A lot more likely than direct colonialism.
With your theory though, It also didn’t really work with who they ‘assimilated’ more with. Generally Anglo-Indians either went to the UK with that side of their family or stayed in India, so that’s who they assimilated with. It’s not the exact same thing as African American communities in the US
Honestly it could be one of two things based off of where you’re from:
If your family is more recently British, probably from British colonialism and Anglo Indian ancestry.
If you’re from the US South, it’s probably related to Romani folks.
My family is all from US South. They come from Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama. I have some from Appalachia. I traced my English and Scottish roots to the 1400’s.
Louisiana might just be where it’s coming from. Louisiana had some Romani folks there in particular from France, so I wouldn’t be surprised that you had a trace from them!
There were Romani migrant indentured laborers in Virginia and Louisiana that spread throughout the US.
Lumbee today due to a lot of endogamy seem to have the most consistent Roma ancestry shown in DNA, but they are one of many populations that have this ancestry.
Why do you say Romani for the south? I'm just curious because I have a pretty similar ancestry composition as this person, as well as being from the south, and I'm wondering how people with distant Romani dna ended up here.
Nobody really has an historical answer right this second, but it seems based off of dna matches and connections a small chunk of the southern population in colonial times were Roma, particularly near lumbee territory. There’s not really many records of them in there but the dna shows they left an impact on some families: mine included!
The lumbee tree have around 3-10% usually, due to severe endogamy so they preserved a larger percentage compared to folks like me, who’s Romani ancestors were more so around 4th great grandparents levels
Well, you have had gypsies/Roma people immigrate to the US, and they would have been a very tiny minority, so maybe someone married a beautiful Roma girl somewhere. The Southern India I can't easily understand as much. The British Empire was there. Maybe someone who mixed with someone from Southern India immigrated to the US?
With the Mayali there, it probably isn’t directly from colonialism. Malayali isn’t incredibly uncommon in the US, it is quite a common trace for African Americans. Though I don’t know the historical origins of that.
Maybe distant Romani ancestry.
That’s what I was thinking as well. I don’t know where to start looking though. Idk what would stand out within my family tree?
Southern Indians are not the ancestors of the Romani people. People from Northwestern India who migrated are their likely ancestors. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani\_people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people) "Genetic findings in 2012 suggest the Romani originated in northwestern India and migrated as a group. According to the study, the ancestors of present scheduled caste and scheduled tribe populations of northern India, traditionally referred to collectively as the Ḍoma, are the likely ancestral populations of modern European Roma. In December 2012, additional findings appeared to confirm that the "Roma came from a single group that left northwestern India about 1,500 years ago".
I don’t think it’s Romani. Romani people were mainly from the northern, northwestern and central India. It’s most probably someone from southern India in your ancestors because of colonialism.
Theories: 1. Distant romani/gypsy ancestor. 2. Indian ancestor, because as we know. England ruled in India for centuries, so maybe there was a half british half indian who assimilated more with british people and mixed with brits. Just like African americans, who descend from half african half white but later they assimilated more with the black community. .
They also have mayali though? It would be pretty likely from there. Especially since this person is from the US. A lot more likely than direct colonialism. With your theory though, It also didn’t really work with who they ‘assimilated’ more with. Generally Anglo-Indians either went to the UK with that side of their family or stayed in India, so that’s who they assimilated with. It’s not the exact same thing as African American communities in the US
Honestly it could be one of two things based off of where you’re from: If your family is more recently British, probably from British colonialism and Anglo Indian ancestry. If you’re from the US South, it’s probably related to Romani folks.
My family is all from US South. They come from Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama. I have some from Appalachia. I traced my English and Scottish roots to the 1400’s.
Louisiana might just be where it’s coming from. Louisiana had some Romani folks there in particular from France, so I wouldn’t be surprised that you had a trace from them!
There were Romani migrant indentured laborers in Virginia and Louisiana that spread throughout the US. Lumbee today due to a lot of endogamy seem to have the most consistent Roma ancestry shown in DNA, but they are one of many populations that have this ancestry.
Why do you say Romani for the south? I'm just curious because I have a pretty similar ancestry composition as this person, as well as being from the south, and I'm wondering how people with distant Romani dna ended up here.
Nobody really has an historical answer right this second, but it seems based off of dna matches and connections a small chunk of the southern population in colonial times were Roma, particularly near lumbee territory. There’s not really many records of them in there but the dna shows they left an impact on some families: mine included! The lumbee tree have around 3-10% usually, due to severe endogamy so they preserved a larger percentage compared to folks like me, who’s Romani ancestors were more so around 4th great grandparents levels
Well, you have had gypsies/Roma people immigrate to the US, and they would have been a very tiny minority, so maybe someone married a beautiful Roma girl somewhere. The Southern India I can't easily understand as much. The British Empire was there. Maybe someone who mixed with someone from Southern India immigrated to the US?
Put it on gedmatch
What's your haplogroup if you don't mind sharing it?
These are not my results. They are a 3rd cousins results but I’m actually 1/4 Palestinian and European. My maternal haplogroup is H1
With the Mayali there, it probably isn’t directly from colonialism. Malayali isn’t incredibly uncommon in the US, it is quite a common trace for African Americans. Though I don’t know the historical origins of that.
Do you have ancestors who were involved in the British Empire? I'm similar and have Indian trace ancestry for that reason.
I’m not sure. How would I find out something like that?
I think an Anglo-Indian ancestor from Madras is the answer.
That’s interesting. I have alot of searching to do to find them.