iGENEA DNA Test: Unraveling the Complexities of Heritage and Personal Identity Through the Eckhardt Surname
Family name Eckhardt
Unraveling the meaning inherent in my surname, Eckhardt, was a straightforward affair before I took the iGENEA DNA test. My identity, I believed, was a product of my immediate familial connections. However, the test drastically altered this belief, making me view my heritage as a composite of multiple strands.
Prior to taking the iGENEA DNA test, my surname, Eckhardt, was just a part of my personal identification, a name that had been handed down to me through generations. However, after the test, my view of personal identity and heritage radically changed. The test was transformative in the sense that it made me grapple with the incredible complexity and richness inherent in my genetic heritage. Only a small part of who I am was passed down from my recent ancestors—the Eckhardts—while much more of my makeup is influenced by a lineage trailing back into deep history. I still value my Eckhardt family, our myths and traditions, but I understand now that we are a blend of numerous communities, bridging continents and centuries. Thus, as the Eckhardt family story has given shape and substance to my present, the iGENEA DNA test has placed it in the wider epic of human migration and evolution.
O. Eckhardt