The Vess Family DNA Project
Genetic genealogy is helping us break through generations of thick genealogy brick walls.
Y-DNA Testing
Requirements for Y-DNA Testing:
Must be a direct male descendant with the “Vess” or “Vest” surname.
Y-DNA testing from different Vess/Vest families is helping us construct a more accurate Vess family tree, by identifying lost Vess lineages and untangling ourselves from families with similar surnames.
If interested in participating in this DNA project, please contact the project Admins (here) on how to get started! Please be sure to ask if you are eligible for a sponsored test. Keep in mind, the project cannot sponsor everyone’s test.
Project Admins will ask if you have already taken an Autosomal DNA test.
If your Autosomal DNA test was completed through 23&Me or FTDNA, they will ask if your results show M420.
If your Autosomal DNA test was completed through Ancestry, they will ask if you can put your raw DNA data through The Clade Finder to see if your results show YP4141 or R1a.
These results will help them determine which type of Y-DNA test to complete for the project.
If you haven’t done any prior DNA testing, they will likely start with a basic Y-DNA test, and upgrade if needed.
2025 Y-DNA Results
| Earliest Known Ancestor | Location | Results |
| Peter Vess b. 1791 | Rutherford County, NC | R1a2 Confirmed Full- Y Completed – No Further Testing Needed |
| Willis Vess b. 1810 | Franklin County, Alabama | Seeking Full-Y DNA Tester To Further Confirm R1a2 Lineage |
| Nathaniel Vess b. 1794 | South Carolina | No Results – Seeking Testers |
| Jonathan Vess d. 1848 | Jackson County, Texas | No Results – Seeking Testers |
| Absalom Vess d. 1829 | Wilkes County, NC | No Results – Seeking Testers |
| Pryor & William Vess | Henry County, Virginia | Potential Match To Willis Vess Need Full-Y DNA Test from Willis Vess line to Confirm |
| Samuel & Hiram Vess 1810 | Rockbridge County, Virginia | No Results – Seeking Testers |
| William Tunwell Vest d. 1812 | Stokes County, NC | No Results – Seeking Testers |
R1a2 Travers/Vess Lineage
The R1a2 Vess family is primarily English in origin.
They descend from an earlier Norman Travers family, whose history dates back to 1066 in Lancashire, England.
It is strongly believed that the VESS surname is a shortened version of TRAVIS, another name for TRAVERS.
Unfortunately, the TRAVERS family tree is broken down into many smaller family trees, with many gaps in between, making it seemingly impossible to connect together.
However, Y-DNA testing is helping the Travers family reconstruct their ancient family tree, which will hopefully, one day, help the Vess family identify their specific earlier Travers branch.
Vess Genealogy 