TITLE: Surprising Ancestral Discoveries through iGENEA: Tracing the Heinzel Surname from Germanic Tribes to the Helvetic Celts
Family name Heinzel
My journey of exploring my lineage through iGENEA DNA testing held unexpected surprises. The biggest revelation was the origin of my surname, Heinzel, which traced back to the Helvetic Celts instead of Germany. The test further revealed a surprising Sephardic Jewish ancestry and distinct Scandinavian Viking markers.
My journey with iGENEA DNA testing began as a simple curiosity about my heritage. However, it gradually turned into a voyage of unexpected discoveries and awe-inspiring revelations. From tracing the historic migrations of my ancestors to exploring unfamiliar patrimonies, deciphering the mysteries of my lineage took many unexpected turns.
The biggest surprise? My surname, Heinzel, did not originate from Germany or Austria as I believed, but from an entirely different locus with few Germanic markers. The Heinzel surname’s origin traces back to the Celtic Tribes, specifically the Helvetic Celts who were thrived in modern-day Switzerland during the Iron Age.
Quite unexpectedly, it was also found that the Heinzel lineage has distinct Sephardic Jewish ancestry. Originating from the Iberian Peninsula, this community was expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 15th century, with many members relocating across the globe. How my Sephardic ancestors integrated with the Celtic Tribes remains a tantalizing mystery.
On my mother’s side, the Scandinavian Viking marks were prominent. This was astonishing as my family had never mentioned any Scandinavian lineage. Turns out, Vikings’ widespread expeditions included Helvetic regions, so the connections there seem plausible.
While tracing my maternal haplogroup, I also found out a surprising connection to the Sami people, an indigenous tribe from Scandinavia. Learning about my deep historic ties with the Sami people had a profound emotional impact on me.
My iGENEA DNA journey demystified my lineage and reshaped my cultural identity. Even though these surprising revelations initially felt unsettling, they culminated in feelings of awe and gratitude, and an enriched understanding about myself and my family line.
N. Heinzel