DUTCH

The surname Callewaert is very common in Belgium. A search request on the site www.familienaam.be gives 3 157 records, the most of them in West Flanders, the westernmost province of the country.

Are al these Callewaerts members of one big family, with the same ancestors? That's only one of the questions this site deals with.

Using classical genealogical methods I could establish the line of male ancestors back to the sixteenth century: a certain Joannes Calewaert, born around 1570, lived in Beveren-Roeselare. You can learn more about him and his descendants on the Genealogy page. The ancestors of Joannes Calewaert remain (for the present) hidden behind the famous "medieval wall".

Today there's a tendency to support the genealogy with some genetic knowledge. Just like the family name, the Y chromosome passes in principle unchanged from father to son. The study of this Y-chromosomal DNA can tell us a lot about the relationship between people with the same or similar surnames.

In may 2005 I decided to participate in "The Genographic Project", a globe-spanning effort to collect over 100,000 DNA samples representing a worldwide range of human diversity. The project reveals the genetic footprints left by our ancestors as they ventured out of Africa to colonize the world. Each participant receives a genetic profile and a description of the migration routes of his (her) ancestors. To genealogists the next step is even more interesting: you can add your DNA profile to a database, where you can compare your genetic profile with that of other people or families. More about this on the DNA-Roots page.

Do you have questions or suggestions? Feel free to send me an E-mail!

Wim Callewaert