Thread: Lithuania

My grandfather's name ROC^KA also spelled ROSKA, ROSKAS.

He was from Geilgudiskis (the Estate of the Geilgud family) which is in the Suvalki region of Lithuania.



His mother's family name was JACKAITE.



Is anyone else looking at these names???

I am also looking at the name MIC^KEVICIUS or MIC^KEVICIUTE, my grandmother's family name.



Her mother's family name was JUSKEVICIUTE.



They were from Verbalis in the Vilkaviskis region.



Is anyone else searching these names???

My surname Roder, is not what it originally was.

I have traced it as Rode, Rhoder, Radar, Rote.



All any of my traced relatives knows is that my Gt Grandfather came to London via Riga.



Logic is suggesting that my ancestors came from near Jelgava (the only guess other than Riga as there are no records to him having been there).



Y DNA testing has proven a likelyhood of Lithuania.



Without knowing yet what my family name was (Jewish surnames were not common before 1840) I can't say whether I am yet surching for your surnames.



However, I now live in Estonia so if I do find a connection I might be able to photograph things for you?

PhotonPhil,

I wish you the best of luck in your searching...and wait to hear from you !!

Thanks for getting in touch.

I've wondered about doing this DNA testing, I guess you'd recommend it?

Every branch of my family that I have discovered (England,Australia,Israel) all knew just one thing Harris' surname had changed but they knew not from which. All of my above are variations that he used just in 12 years in London!



I tried DNA testing to see whether my Great Grandfather was truely Jewish or a convert, a cousin gave me a photograph and it is an interesting face! My mother and grandmother were not Jewish.



There are 2 types of DNA testing



YDNA (ie male), this is only passed from father to son, so gives a direct linage.



XDNA or Mytrocondrial DNA which is passed to both (but in my case useless as I can trace my English linage in every branch to circa 1800).



XDNA mutates and shows where the family has been a sort of migratory path, but it is no real use to heritage.



OK from a Jewish point of view, being a Jew comes from the maternal line since pre DNA testing people only knew 100% who their mother was.



I have proven myself a Jew by bloodline but not as a result of religious rules, odd that I can prove my heritage yet have none legally!



DNA testing allowed me to compare my Paternal DNA and every close match (other than one) was known Jews whose ancestry came from Lithuania,Poland,Latvia, Ukraine, Bellarusia,Russia. The only exception hadn't realised that his ancestors did as his surname was SMITH! but he was almost identical to another and he realised that his family had changed their name to fit in then a centuary later became Christianised.



The close DNA matches that I have (99-100%) probabbility of sharing a male ancestor at 20generations or better are all from Latvia or Lithuania.



A month ago I was informed that a chap who had 37markers done had all 37 identical to me, I have had all 67 markers done. This man has a Jewish surname but has yet replied to my request for more information.



Is DNA testing worthwhile?



12marker test complete waste of time!

25marker test a waste of time (still to imprecise)

37marker test the minimum I would recomend

67marker test (the one to go for, but can cost $400!)



Initially there weren't that many hits to my DNA, but in the last few months I have been getting a lot of results.



They say you should not use DNA to find out where you come from, they say it is not cost effective, however when like me you hit a brick wall shipping records from Riga of the right date dont exist and from London destroyed for my needs. It proved that my ancestors came from the Baltic and were Jewish.



Should you get DNA tested? If your surname is not fixed it could be very useful, never know maybe we are cousins



I did mine through www.familytreeDNA.com if you are seriously considering doing it I could pass you an email addresses of others who can get you into a group discount as judging from your ancestors surnames you have Jewish ancestry.



Somepeople are doing familysurname DNA databases to trace particular branches, the more people that get done the more accurite it becomes.



By the way you don't need to be Jewish there are plenty of Lithuanian descendants who aren't.



Cheers for now, by the way if you want my direct email just ask



Phillip