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P-L-N Y-DNA Campaign

Research into the PELAN and PAYLING/PALING surnames, from Ulster and Nottinghamshire/Yorkshire respectively, found that they were in fact the same patrilineal family. There then followed a subsequent flurry of tracing people with possibly related names which resulted with much Y-DNA testing over a 15-year period:

  • PALING / PAYLING - Found mostly in Nottinghamshire, England
  • PELAN - originating from Lambeg / Lisburn in 17th century Ireland - most plausibly immigration from England
  • PELIN - found historically in Dublin & Co.s Kildare & Offaly, Ireland since the 16th century (but now died out in Dublin)
  • PALIN - (Discovered 2024) likely been in the US since British colonial times - Province of Carolina - closest match to Lisburn Pelans

Three variants from descendants of the Lisburn Pelans...

  • PALEN - North America
  • PELLING - Scotland
  • PALAN - North America

As a short-hand, I have come to call all these kinds of surname as the 'P-L-N' family (called a 'consonant skeleton') and I have been reaching out to males bearers of these names to determine if or how they are connected. Y-DNA testing is the only way of confirming these connections when they are hundreds of years old.

Here is a summary report in PDF format.

Please read the main section of this site for more information about Y-DNA testing.

Who else is in scope ?

There is one untested group from Ireland with some known genealogy:

  • PALLIN - Co. Carlow / Co. Kildare (proximate to the PELIN family)

There are North Americans with Irish origins with surnames like:

  • PELLING
  • PEELING

There are plenty of similar names all over England (notably East Anglia/Fens, Sussex, Chester):

  • PEEL/PEELE - Norfolk
  • PELING
  • PELLING - Sussex
  • PELLING - Kent (Very rare, now tested!)
  • PEELING - Norfolk
  • PEALING - Salford, Liverpool & London
  • PALIN

France / The Netherlands

  • PALEN
  • PALING
  • PELAN
  • PEELEN

The more men that get tested, the better picture we will have of their interconnectedness over time and geographic spread.

Genealogies ?

You can find much of the output of this work on Wikitree.

There is a target list of genealogies that should ideally be Y-DNA tested:

This is always a work-in-progress and names may be added or clarified as the results come in.

Relevant Y-DNA Haplogroups

For the purposes of the research, the two major 'Pelan' haplogroups are considered the same family as the Hancock-like is highly probable to be an NPE - given their proximity in time and place.

  • R-BY104277 - so far, everyone downstream of this has a 'P-L-N' style name (or is descended from one)
  • R-FTB47839 - 'Hancock-like' (estimated haplogroup)

Joining

If you wish to join this exciting research please sign-up here ('JOIN' button):

If you can afford to do so, please purchase the Y-37 test and complete the basic ancestry information. If you have already tested with Ancestry or 23andMe you can import your results to FTDNA and for an small unlocking fee, they will analyse the Y-DNA component of your autosomal results. Further testing with FTDNA is still likely to be necessary but porting your results is better than nothing.

There may be funding available although this is primarily for follow-up Y-700 tests for specific candidates.

Thank-you

I would like to thank everyone who has been tested or who has agreed to be tested. Without you this knowledge would never have been revealed. Our small, isolated groups of rare names actually constitutes a much larger patrilineal group. With more testing in France and The Netherlands, there is a possibility of further ancient connections outside the British Isles.