Why don't I match any other Holmes in the dna database

[Ryan Holmes]

My name is Ryan Holmes, and I am looking for dna ties to other Holmes, any other Holmes.  I have tested 37 markers and have a predicted haplogroup of I2b*. 

Unfortuneately, I have not matched any other Holmes in FTdna's database or Y-Search.  My family has lived in Caribou, Maine for many generations.  Before that they lived in New Brunswick, Canada.  They came to Canada after the English lost the American Revolution as my oldest known ancestor was a Loyalist who enlisted into Delancey's Brigade for the defense of Long Island, New York around 1775.  His grandchildren claimed Irish Nationality in the early Canadian census' of 1851, 1861, and 1871. 

Why don't I have any matches to other Holmes surnames in the database?  Is it because my family tree has been in America for so long?  I matched a Humes but only to 12 of 37 markers.  My strongest matches (25-2) are with Campbells and a handfull of Pages.  How do I tell who's surname is oldest?

Where/who belongs to I2b*?  Will the subclade test be of any value to me? 

I have read that a Holmes from Ireland is generalized as Scots-Irish.  Is this true?  I have also read that Campbell is an old Highland Scottish surname.  Could my 25-2 match with Campbell mean I am also Highland Scottish?

I feel overwhelmed and need direction.  Where do I go from here?  Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Ryan Holmes.

[Barry R McCain]

Ryan, if you are in the Ulster Heritage DNA Project, send me an note and I'll take a look at your results for you. Holmes in Ulster is often from the surname Mac Thómais and is often the surnames of Highland Scottish Gaels living in Ulster.  My contact data in on the main Ulster Heritage website.  www.ulsterheritage.com

Barry R McCain

[Lunney]

My name is Ryan Holmes, and I am looking for dna ties to other Holmes, any other Holmes.  I have tested 37 markers and have a predicted haplogroup of I2b*. 

Unfortuneately, I have not matched any other Holmes in FTdna's database or Y-Search. 

Ryan Holmes.

Ryan: I have exactly the same problem with the surname Carroll. Fundamentally, the issue is that, so far, only a tiny fraction of the world's population has been DNA tested. Therefore, you are effectively asking a random sampling of less than a 100,000 people whether they are related. Since there are 3-4 billion males in the world, your probability of a match is 0.003% or less. Not surprising that none match.

Therefore, the real use of this DNA stuff is to verify or to test whether a suspected relationship derived from standard genealogy research (or just similar geographical location) is true or false.

I myself have only come to this realization in the last few months and am thus now concentrating on finding a likely male that might be a relative and then asking him to test.

-------- Joe (Carroll -- I'm on this forum because my grandmother was a Lunney)