Haplogroup E-M123

What is Paternal Haplogroup E-M123?

Haplogroup E-M123, also known as Haplogroup E-M96 (Y Chromosome Consortium long-form label), is a genealogical group of lineages defined by unique genetic markers present on the Y-chromosome. Your paternal haplogroup, or that of your father if you do not have a Y-chromosome, paints a picture of your ancient origins and the migrations of your ancestors. Although your paternal haplogroup reflects just one of your many ancestral lineages, it carries information about that lineage over tens of thousands of years.

Haplogroup E-M123 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Among 23andMe research participants, haplogroup E-M123 is commonly found among populations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

It's important to note that your haplogroup doesn't define your current ethnic identity; rather, it provides an insight into your deep ancestry on the paternal side.

Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96

Top Surnames with Haplogroup E-M123

For surnames with sufficient representation in the data, these percentages represent the frequency with which each surname is found in individuals exhibiting this genetic marker.

Last Name	Frequency
shirley	5.50%
burnham	3.60%
bedard	3.20%
kilmer	2.30%
hahn	1.40%
rodriguez	0.80%
geer	0.80%
vasquez	0.80%
smith	0.70%
gonzalez	0.70%
becerra	0.60%
novoa	0.60%
ramirez	0.60%
fernandez	0.60%
martinez	0.50%
hann	0.50%
davis	0.50%
romero	0.50%
hildebrand	0.50%
hernandez	0.50%

Haplogroup E-M123 is linked to many Jewish populations

Although haplogroup E-M123 is common throughout the Middle East, especially among populations such as the Bedouin, Omanis and Druze, it appears particularly frequently in Jewish populations. The lineage averages 10% among both Ashkenazim from eastern Europe and Sephardic Jews from Iberia. About 15% of Ethiopian Jews also carry the haplogroup, although they may be more closely related to other Ethiopians than to other Jewish populations bearing E-M123. Jews from Yemen carry E-M123 at levels of about 10%, and about 20% of Libyan Jewish men belong to the haplogroup. Given the clearly elevated frequency in all Jewish populations, E-M123 was very likely present in the ancestral Jewish population from the Levant that dispersed throughout the Old World about 2,000 years ago.