> come close to someone of another surname. Not matching any others of your > surname leads to the conclusion of a "non-paternity event" in family > history > (adoption [legal or otherwise], out-of-wedlock birth, etc.). It can also indicate families taking the same surname for the same reasons but not genetically related to each other. After all not all blacksmiths (Smith) were related to each other. In my case, from Shank's land or from the shank of land (Shankland) has turned up 50% not related. We believe that these are independent families not NPEs. John