Welcome to the Ren(t)z Family Project. Here we hope to combine traditional genealogy research with DNA analysis in order to:

1. Help researchers to find common ancestry in those families directly related to either the Rentz or Renz families whose origin was in Germany (see the Patriarch Page);

2. Help researchers in the United States who may not know the European origins of their family group discover relationships to one of the groups in this project;

3. Help researchers with variant spellings, e.g. Rantz, Ranzo, Reinzo, Renzo, Reinz, etc., discover relationships to the Ren(t)z family groups which originated in Germany;

4. Help researchers understand relationships among members with common ancestry from the same geographic location, e.g. Baden-Wurttemberg, by sharing results in a regional project (see the Germany DNA Project: http://german-dna.net).

Background Information

The earliest known written documentation of the surname Ren(t)z occurs in the early 13th century in the city of Ulm, located Danube Valley in the central portion of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. Extant records suggest that there were three primary lines by the 15th century in this region known as Schwabia from which others have descended: 1) the Augsburg line; 2) the Waiblinger line (according to E. Renz, this is the line from which the Zircus Renz, a.k.a the Herman Renz Circus, arises); and 3) the Wiesensteiger line. A detailed historical analysis of these lines was written by Ernest Renz; Renz (aus Schwaben): Ancestral history of the Ren(t)z Swabia line (1); transcribed by Ingeborg Brigitte Gastel Lloyd. (See http://worldroots.com/brigitte/renz.html. )

In bringing together results of Y-chromosomal DNA analysis of males who bear a surname from this group with traditional genealogical information, several experimental objectives arise:

1. to discover the historical relationship between the three early Schwabian lines to determine their inter-relationship;
2. to discover the modern day relationships among members who bear the group surname to one of these early Schwabian lines;
3. to discover new lines which are unrelated to any of these three Schwabian lines.

Genealogists who have other information about the origins of the Ren(t)z surname are welcome to submit information to the site administrator for inclusion in this section. Or, the information can be posted at the discussion group.

Useful Links

World Families Network Forums
     Rentz Family Forum
     Pedigree Forum
     World Families Network General Discussion

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For more information on the relationship between DNA testing and traditional genealogy, visit World Families Network.