GENEALOGY
Trace Your MacNeil Roots
Every MacNeil family has a story. Adding yours to our genealogical records helps connect you to relatives you never knew existed and helps future generations find their way back to the clan.
To add your family information to our genealogical records, complete the online form or download and print the paper version.
To add your family information to our genealogical records, complete the online form or download and print the paper version.
Meet Clan MacNeil's Genealogist
Alissa Cossaboom Nolan
CG, FSA Scot, VP of Genealogy, Clan MacNeil Association of America
Alissa has served as CMAA’s clan genealogist since 2016, building and maintaining one of the most comprehensive MacNeil genealogical databases in existence. A Certified Genealogist trained at Boston University and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, she brings both academic rigor and genuine passion to the work of connecting MacNeil families across the globe.
She serves as co-administrator of the MacNeil project on FamilyTreeDNA and administrator of the CMAA GEDmatch project, and is currently pursuing board certification in Investigative Genetic Genealogy. Her research has been recognized by the Florida Historical Society, whose collection now includes her work as a Finding Aid. She writes a regular genealogy column in The Galley and contributes to the CMAA blog, with a particular focus on DNA testing and what it can reveal about MacNeil ancestry.
She serves as co-administrator of the MacNeil project on FamilyTreeDNA and administrator of the CMAA GEDmatch project, and is currently pursuing board certification in Investigative Genetic Genealogy. Her research has been recognized by the Florida Historical Society, whose collection now includes her work as a Finding Aid. She writes a regular genealogy column in The Galley and contributes to the CMAA blog, with a particular focus on DNA testing and what it can reveal about MacNeil ancestry.
Genealogy Posts
If you’ve already taken a Y-DNA test, that’s a great start—but the real power of DNA comes from numbers. More testers = more branches on the tree = more answers...
Every family has a mystery.
Maybe there’s a missing father in the records. A sudden surname change. A cousin with no known link. Or a family legend about...
If you’ve looked at Y-DNA testing, you’ve probably run into two common options: Y-37 and Big Y-700. But what’s the difference—and which one should you actually...