My Elkins ancestors have been in the SW Georgia area since Young Elkins appeared in the Decatur County census of 1830. His ancestors appear to have lived in Cumberland and Chatham Counties of North Carolina.

I have undergone Y-DNA testing up to the 111-marker level. None of the men who are my DNA matches have the surname of Elkins, but all have the surname of Short. This would indicate that there was a non-parental event that occurred somewhere in my Elkins line at some point in the past involving a male Short.

Due to the number of steps that my DNA results differ from those of the Short men who match me, this non-parental event did not take place within the past few generations and may have even occurred in the pre-immigration time period; however, the only way that we might be able to narrow down when it occurred would be to have more Elkins men undergo Y-DNA testing than have done so to date. To my knowledge, I am the only Elkins from this particular Elkins line who has been tested to date.

II would encourage all Elkins males who descend from any of the NC Elkins families to take a Y-DNA test and to test to at least the 37-marker level.

D. Michael Elkins