There are two kinds of genetic tests that can assist with Luceno family research: autosomal testing and Y-chromosome testing.
An autosomal DNA test is the kind of test you can get done through Ancestry DNA, Family Tree DNA‘s Family Finder test, or 23andMe.
The human genome is composed of 22 pairs of autosomes and 1 pair of sex chromosomes. An autosomal DNA test analyzes some of the markers on those 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes, searches for specific SNPs, and looks to see which other tested individuals also share those SNPs. The time to the last common ancestor shared between those individuals can then be estimated by the number of SNPs they share in common. (More information on autosomal DNA testing can be found here.)
The problem with using autosomal testing to analyze the origins of the Lucenos is that the family comes from a small town in Calabria where most people are related to one another. Any individual from San Vito sullo Ionio is likely to have Ciracós, Dorias, Sinopolis, Totinos, Rigillos, and Casalinuovos in their trees, often on more than one branch. Two Luceno descendants may look very closely related to one another on the basis of their autosomal results, but this does not mean their Luceno ancestors are that closely related to one another.
To illustrate this point, for awhile I believed, on the basis of the genetic evidence, that no two living Lucenos of Italian origin were more than 5th cousins from one another. In other words, the genetic evidence led me to believe that all extant Lucenos were descended from a single individual born in the middle of the 18th century. Subsequent genealogical (archival) research proved this wrong. Lucenos today are descended from at least two individuals who were alive in the early-18th century.
It’s not that the autosomal results are inaccurate; they’re just misleading. The genetic overlap shown by those tests is real. It’s just not all coming from Luceno ancestors. The way to break this illusion and to get at the real origins of the Lucenos is through Y-chromosome testing.
While the autosomal chromosomes are inherited from both parents, the Y chromosome is only passed down from father to son. And since in European culture a child inherits the father’s surname, this makes Y chromosome analysis extremely useful for investigating the origins of a family. (Read more about the Y chromosome here.)
Y chromosome analysis of male Luceno descendants can show not only how the two Luceno males from the early-18th century are related to one another. It can also show whether the Lucenos from San Vito are recently related to the Spanish Lucenos.
It can also reveal interesting anthropological information, like the ancient migrations that brought the ancestors of the Lucenos to Europe in the first place. (Learn more.)
The difficulty with Y-DNA testing the Luceno line is (1) it can only be done on a male Luceno descendant with the “Luceno” last name, and (2) the cost.
Family Tree DNA offers a Y-67 test for $268. This is the test most likely to shed light both on the common ancestor of the Italian Lucenos but also reveal whether the Italian Lucenos are related to the Spanish Lucenos.
While the cost of a Y-DNA test is relatively high, the good news is that it is not necessary to get that many people tested. I have identified two major pools of Luceno descendants in North America: those descended from Giuseppantonio Lucenó (born circa 1740) and those descended from Francesco Lucenó (born around the same time).
While it is possible—even likely—that there were other Lucenós alive then, as of early 2017 I am unaware of any of their descendants. So for now, it is only necessary to test one male from each group in order to gain insight into the origins of the Italian Lucenós.
The same test run on a single Spanish Luceno should reveal when we share a common ancestor with them.
If you are a male Luceno of either Italian or Spanish origin and would like to contribute, please contact me.