Hi Mike,

I think MacSpadger is quite thorough in his response, and it makes a great deal of sense considering there is indeed a Montgomeryshire in Wales. Cambro-Norman in origin?

Makes me think of the Scottish golfer Colin Montgomery

I just had a look and found that FTDNA does have a Montgomery (and variant spellings) surname project. So if your surname is Montgomery you'd be eligible to join...not sure if they are still doing it but they used to offer a discount if you were involved in a project.

I also had a look at the results page of the Montgomery project...it appears that the most frequent (to date) haplogroup is J2a with the vast majority indicating Scotland or Ireland as the origin of their farthest known ancestor. The second most common was R1b1a2 wich is what I have and is one of the most known in the British Isles (this probably is a Gaelic signature). The third group I see represented but at a far less frequency is I1 and 12...interesting because this would indeed show that some with the surname Montgomery descended from a Scandinavian ancestor (This could be Norman).

What I find most interesting is the frequency of J2 in the Scottish Montgomerys according to the test results...If you happen to test and find you are a J2 you'll have to hunt around on the internet to see what the consensus is as to how that haplogroup arrrived in the British Isles (and in particualr to Scotland). MY opinion and only MY opinion (I havent spent enough time researching this) is that, considering J2 is found predominently far south it may have been brought to Britain by the Romans however, it may very well be French which then would have been brought during the Norman conquest. If Roman maybe this has some connection to Wales?

Anyway, I am only speculating...we dont even know if you're J2 at this point and I don't want to confuse you (not as much as I confuse myself anyhow ). You'll have a lot of reading a head of you if you are J2.