The Harriman/Herriman Surname Y-DNA project is on-line at familytreeDNA.com. Y-DNA is the genetic signature passed down unchanged from father to son - it cannot be inherited by females, as only the Y chromosome is involved. This makes it ideal for tracing the male ancestral line. For genealogical purposes only so-called "junk" DNA is used - it has no known purpose and cannot reveal anything about medical history or personal characteristics. Occasionally, mutations occur and the signature changes very slightly in one person. This means that after many generations, there will be a slight difference in the signature. Men who are closely related (within a few generations) should have identical signatures. Those who are related much further back will have signatures that differ in only one or two markers. The tests are most useful to either prove or disprove a known relationship between two men and to help determine their most recent common ancestor (MRCA). Standard tests examine 12, 25 or 37 markers. The MRCA can be determined more accurately with more markers, but the cost is greater.

By joining the Harriman Surname project you should be able to determine whether you are related to one of the known lines of Harrimans and also help establish the Harriman Haplogroup - that is, the area of the world where the lines originated. To join the project, you can order the kit from FamilyTreeDNA. This link will take you to the Harriman ordering page.

Here is the FamilyTreeDNA project site for the Harriman Surname Project where results and progress will be posted.

Here is a more detailed description of the process.

Here are some FAQs about our project and Y-DNA testing in general.