DNA-Y Surname Project for Brütsch, Bruetsch, Britsch, Brutsch, Prütsch

Based on the late 1500's, early 1600's Switzerland church records,

there appear to be five (5) ancestral Brütsch lineages.  (Lineage chart photos.)

A sixth (6th) lineage has been added, that of the Jacob lineage, which stayed in Buch,

whereas others either left Buch for other villages, or are of other lineages.

A seventh (7th) lineage has been added 21 Sept 2008, that of the Britsch's from Obernai, Alsac, France.

The first six lineages are described below, and are named Hans, Gallus, Rudolf, Michael, Daniel and Jacob.

Since the church records started in 1559, (and it took time for people to have info recorded),

the early vital records (births, marriages, deaths) of these lineages are unknown.

Thus genealogists can use modern day DNA analysis to help answer some questions.

The purpose of this Brütsch DNA surname project is

to determine if any of the seven lineages share a common ancestor.

Updated 21 September 2008 with Britsch from Obernai, France results.

Updated 20 February 2014 with Bruetsch from Virginia.

Updated 2 June 2019 with Family Finder.

(See below for test results.)

The hypotheses to be tested are:

1.  Are Gallus and Rudolf related?  They both lived in Biberach/Ramsen at about the same time.

2.  Are Hans and Michael related?  They both came from Buch.

3.  Are the Brütsch's south of the Rhein River related to any of the five lineages north of the Rhein?

4.  Are the Biberach/Ramsen Brütsch's related to the Buch Brütsch's?

5.  Are Michael and Jacob related?  They both came from Buch.

The DNA Y-chromosome markers used for genealogical purposes is not the same DNA used for criminal and / or medical investigations.  The Y- chromosome is passed from father to son through all generations.  Thus it is a remarkable modern method to aid traditional genealogical analysis. 

Can this be delayed?  Consider the trend towards smaller families.  There is no certainty that a male line will continue into the future.  So there is no time like the present time.

This project will be using DNA Heritage for its testing.  Their website is: http://www.dnaheritage.com    The site has FAQ and Tutorial sections that are very informative.  A 23 marker test is a minimum, while a 43 marker test provides more values for comparisons.

For a more in-depth explanation and examples of testing results, visit this Swiss DNA surname project website.  Use the back arrow to return to this Brütsch site.  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bricker/

Upon receipt of an order (via dnaheritage.com website) they will send out a sample collection kit, along with full instructions of how to collect a painless cheek swab.

A minimum of two males are needed for each lineage, to ensure that a particular lineage has been properly identified.  A third male descendent might be needed if there is an unexpected difference between the first two.

No current names will be used for identification.  Participants will be given "coded" identities based on one of the five lineages.  Examples are given below.

If you would like to participate, please send an email to me at

[email protected]   If you don't know your lineage, that's okay also.

Perhaps we can figure it out using the available transcriptions.

Our group's join page is:

http://www.dnaheritage.com/surnameform.asp?GroupUnique=375479394

The DNA results will be shared and posted on this website, so that the information is available for future researchers.  See the above Bricker website for how the data can be presented and discussion about the results posted for all to share.

Another DNA results webpage: This for Neidhart's from Ramsen, Switzerland. http://www.wwgenealogy.com/dnatests_en.htm

Another webpage giving links to Swiss DNA projects:

  http://www.geneal-forum.com/forum_d/showthread.php?id=281

DNA databases are www.ybase.org, www.ysearch.org and The Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation www.smgf.org  A person can search these databases by surname for possible DNA projects and contacts.  An interesting website is www.davidkfaux.org for more DNA related links.  Another very detailed site is the Rutledge Surname DNA Project!

       There is a cost for the tests.  The minimum 23 marker test is at $6 per marker, so $138.  The 43 marker test is offered at $199.  Since only 2 or 3 tests are needed for each lineage, it is suggested that perhaps the income earners of a family group could pool their moneys for one test - such as a father, sons and /or daughters.  Perhaps a community can select their two (2) representatives and all contribute to pay the cost.  Other Brütsch's may donate funds to be given to participants to help offset their costs.

       There is now a Bruetsch database at www.smgf.org as of Feb,2008.  So this no cost option is available for those who wish to participate.  It takes ~ 1 year for the results to be posted.  The results can be used for this project.

       A final truism.  When we die, we leave our treasures behind.  But we certainly take our DNA with us.  So we can consider that we are leaving a legacy when we take a DNA test for genealogical purposes.

First results posted on www.ybase.org and www.ysearch.org on 28 June 2006.

SNP test results posted 5 Oct 2006.  Others donot need to take this extra test, as long as the other markers match.

View Haplogroup J2f* results.  Also check out http://www.j2-ydnaproject.net 

4 Oct 2007:  The DNA results are in for B. Gallus.

Based on Stein am Rhein church baptismal and marriage records, and the ages of the DNA testees, the time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) for A. Gallus and B. Gallus (from Biberach/Ramsen) is ~260 years, who was Hans Jakob Brütsch, born in 1638.  Hans Jakob B. married Anna Müller in 1664.  A son Johannes was born in 1671 and another son, Hans Geörg was born in 1675.  A one or two marker difference was expected from the DNA result, based on the chart given below.  The results show a two marker difference, 2 out of 45 being 4.4% for 260 years.

These test results are now being used as the "calibration" for all other test comparisons.

21 Sept 2008:  DNA for Britsch, Obernai, Alsac, France

The Britsch sample shows deviation (dev.) in DYS' 461 & 635, so this person is from the Ramsen branch.  Other dev. are in DYS' 391 & 456, two (2) dev., where as the Gallus samples only had one dev. each.  So, allowing ~500 years, would put the MRCA at about 1440.

Test of 20 February 2014:  From a descendent living in Virginia.  Tested with FamilyTreeDNA, due to Heritage DNA being out of business.  The results, shown as C. Gallus, Bib/Ram, are very close to B. Gallus' results, so likely their most recent common ancestor is back less than 200 years, into late 1700's, early 1800's. 

The oldest ancestor is Joseph Brutsch, b. 6 Apr 1821, likely in the state of Baden.  His brother, Moritz, was born in 1823.  Joseph (believed to be of the German Evangelical Church)  married in 1844 to Waldburga Klopfer in Gottmadingen, and children baptism records are in Catholic records.  Joseph came to the USA in 1852.

30 Jan 2008:   The DNA mutations within the tested Brütsch lineages indicate a lot of time has passed.  So the below chart was drawn to illustrate the differences.

 The tutorial at DNA Heritage, on page 4  [http://www.dnaheritage.com/tutorial4.asp] recommends excluding all multi-copy markers.  So DYS’ 385 and 389 have been excluded in this Brütsch analysis.

This is what the tutorial says: You may note that DYS385a and DYS385b have been excluded from the analysis and cladogram even though there are differences observed.

This is because they are both 'multi-copy' markers which can be problematic when comparing two (or more) individuals and may result in false conclusions - hence they are left out of the analysis.

This is the same for all 'multi-copy' markers and is in line with many scientific population studies.

Test of 5 May 2010:  Very unexpected results!

The A. Rudolf of Bib/Ram was a person from the Jacob Britsch of Stein, Germany lineage.  The haplogroup of R1b is so different from the J2 of the Bruetsch's!  So the male lineage was likely compromised somewhere in the 1600's, 1700's, 1800's or 1900's generations.  A second person will need to be found for DNA testing.

Dec. 2014: A match to an Miller (Mueller).

The most distant ancestor is a William Miller, b. ca 1800 in Pennsylvania.  More research is being done.  Maybe goes back to Baden, Germany area.

March 2016:  A re-look at the Joseph Brutsch ancestors shows that a likely Most Recent Common Ancestor may be Hans Adam Bruetsch, via his son Joseph, b/bp June 1658 (mother Barbara Stifflerin, Adams' first wife was Ursula Genner).  Joseph was confirmed in 1674, and married 25 Nov 1683 to Barbara Sigg of Doerflingen.  M/F #1740530.

Concerning the Gallus (Ramsen) and Jacob/Michael (Buch) lineages.  Initially a Majority Value was established for each DYS marker.  By coincidence, it was identical to the A. Jacob markers.  But after much thought, it seemed unreasonable to put all the mutations onto one lineage.  So the Majority Value was altered on DYS 390.  So as the chart shows, the Ramsen lineage has two mutations 1670 -2x260 = 1150 and the Buch lineage has one mutation, 1636 -300 = 1336.  Thus the year of the MRCA would be ~1250 +/- 100 years.

When comparing the Jacob and Michael lineages, the Michael lineage shows one mutation, once the 385 and 389 markers are excluded.  Using the 260 years for 1 mutation gives 1670 as the year to the MRCA for these two lineages.  Michael was born in 1636, so a ~300 year interval seems reasonable.  Eventually the Buch church records will become available and we’ll be able to see if a regular genealogical connection can be proven between Jacob and Michael.

The chart is “calibrated” based on the genealogical records for the Gallus lineages.  Church records show that there is ~260 years from those tested births to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) in 1673 +/- 2 years.  The DNA tests show that one mutation has occurred for each of those tested.

From my Bruetsch homepage, here is what I know of the very early Brütsch’s.  An English translation:  Brütsch was a frequently occurring farmers’ family name by the end of the 14^th century in the Hegau.  (Per Thode’s Ger.-Eng. Genealogical Dictionary, the Hegau was the area south of Baden near Singen.  This certainly fits the Ramsen region.)  In 1419, in Buch, there was already a Hans Ulrich Prütsch, who was released (from some sort of service).  In 1434, in Ramsen, there appears a Prütsch.  The Brütsch’s were also inhabitants on the farms around Ramsen. 

Thus an "Original Brütsch" MRCA of around 1250 +/- 100 years seems reasonable.