We like to think of ourselves as being different from our European neighbours.

But the English owe a lot to the French and a fair amount to the Germans – at least as far as our genes are concerned.

For a study has mapped the genetic make-up of Britain. Researchers analysed the genetic code of 2,000 white Britons and compared the results to data on more than 6,000 people from ten European countries.

The study found that Britain can be divided into 17 distinct genetic 'clans', as shown in the map above

They found that many of us have DNA that is 45 per cent French in origin while many white Britons are a quarter German.

Surprisingly, given that they invaded and occupied large parts of the British Isles for four centuries, there is little genetic trace of the Romans.

Similarly, the Vikings may have a reputation for rape and pillage but the genetic evidence shows they did not have enough children with the locals for their Danish DNA to be present today.

The Anglo-Saxons, in contrast, did leave a genetic legacy, with about 20 per cent of the DNA of many English people coming from the invaders who arrived 1,600 years ago.

The diagram above shows the European ancestry of each of the 17 genetic clusters found in the new genetic study of the UK. The Welsh were found to have DNA that dates back to the earliest settlers of Britain

Further DNA comes from earlier migrants from what is now Germany.

The French contribution to our genes did not come from the conquering Normans but from much earlier.

WELSH ARE THE TRUE BRITONS The Welsh are the true pure Britons, according to the research that has produced the first genetic map of the UK. Scientists were able to trace their DNA back to the first tribes that settled in the British Isles following the last ice age around 10,000 years ago. Due to its westerly location and mountainous landscape, few invaders like the Anglo-Saxons, Romans and Vikings ventured into the Welsh lands. This means the DNA of people living there has not experienced the influx of 'foreign' genes like other parts of Britain. The research found that there is no single 'Celtic' genetic group. The Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish and Cornish were found to be the most different from the rest of the country. The Cornish are much more genetically similar to other English groups than they are to the Welsh or the Scots. Advertisement

Some is from the earliest modern Britons who arrived after the last Ice Age and more came from a mystery set of migrants who settled before the Romans invaded.

Other countries to contribute genes to English DNA include Belgium, Denmark and Spain.

The Oxford University study, which examined people whose grandparents had all been born near each other and were white European in origin, revealed that Caucasian Britons can be separated into 17 distinct genetic groups.

Remarkably, many of these modern-day ‘clans’ are found in the same parts of the country as the tribes and kingdoms of the 6th century – suggesting little changed in Britain for almost 1,500 years.

The people of Orkney are the most distinct, a result of 600 years of Norwegian rule.

The Welsh are the next most distinct.

They have so much DNA from the first modern settlers, that they could claim to be the truest of Britons.

But even within Wales there are two distinct tribes, with those in the north and south of the principality less similar genetically than the Scots are to the inhabitants of Kent.

Clear differences can be seen between the inhabitants of Cornwall and Devon, while West Yorkshire and Cumbria also have their own genetic heritage.

The scientists found Caucasians in Britain can be divided into 17 genetic groups living in different parts of the country, as shown in the diagram above. Each group had varying amounts of European DNA in their genes

THE WEST'S GENETIC DIVIDE They see themselves as rivals rather than neighbours – and the genetic map explains why. For it has revealed that the inhabitants of Cornwall and Devon are two distinct groups. Remarkably, the divide in their DNA is an almost exact match for the modern geographical boundary – those with Cornish genes tend to live on one side of the Tamar, while those with Devonian DNA are on the other. The Cornish have fewer genes in common with the rest of the UK. Dr Magdalena Skipper, of the journal Nature, described the match as ‘truly stunning’. Oxford University researcher Sir Walter Bodmer said the difference could probably be explained by the Anglo-Saxons taking longer to reach the isolated peninsula of Cornwall – and so contributing less DNA to the gene pool there than in Devon. Advertisement

EXPOSED, THE CELTIC MYTH Despite their claims to a cultural kinship, the Celtic peoples do not form a single group, the research shows. Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Cornwall have a very different genetic make-up. The Cornish have DNA that is much more similar to that of other English groups than to the Welsh or the Scots. Oxford University geneticist Professor Peter Donnelly said: ‘One might have expected those groups to be quite similar genetically because they were Celtic. But while see distinct groups in those regions they are amongst the most different.’ Archaeologist Professor Mark Robinson said: ‘I had assumed that there was going to be this uniform Celtic fringe extending from Cornwall through to Wales into Scotland. And this has very definitely not been the case.’ Advertisement

Britain today is much more genetically diverse than 125 years ago, when the grandparents of those who took part in the study were around, but the same technique could be used to read someone’s DNA and work out which parts of the UK their ancestors came from.

The research, published in the journal Nature, did not find any obvious genetic footprint from the Romans or Danish Vikings.

However, this is not down to a lack of virility – merely that they were not here in large enough numbers to have had enough children for their genes to live on today.

Study co-leader Sir Walter Bodmer said: ‘You get a relatively small group of people who can dominate a country that they come into and there are not enough of them, however much they intermarry, to have enough of an influence that we can detect them in the genetics that we do.

‘At that time, the population of Britain could have been as much as one million, so an awful lot of people would need to arrive in order for there to be an impact.’

The map of the UK on the left shows how the country can be divided into 17 distinct groups that have a striking relationship with geography. Each of the clusters is represented by a different symbol while the ellipses give a sense of the geographical range of each genetic cluster. The map on the right shows the regions of ancient British, Irish and Saxon control which relate to many of the modern genetic clusters

His colleague Professor Peter Donnelly added: 'Genetics tells us the story of what happens to the masses.

'There were already large numbers of people in those areas of Britain by the time the Danish Vikings came so to have a substantial impact on the genetics there would need to be very large numbers of them leaving DNA for subsequent generations.

The study is the first detailed look at the genetic make up of Caucasian Britons and establish that they form 17 distinct groups. A stock photograph of a scientist examining the results of DNA sequencing is shown above

'The fact we don't get a signal is probably about numbers rather than the relative allure or lack thereof of Scandinavians to English women.'

Others said that the Danes may actually have been more attractive to local women because their habit of washing weekly meant they were seen as cleaner.

THE WEST COUNTRY NEIGHBOURS WHO HAVE REMAINED RIVALS They may be neighbours but they have never been close. Now, genetics could explain why. The genetic map of the British Isles has revealed that the inhabitants of Cornwall and Devon are two distinct groups. And, remarkably, the divide in their DNA is an almost exact match for the modern geographical boundary between the two countries. In other words, people with Cornish genes tend to live on one side of the river Tamar, while those with Devon DNA are on the other. Dr Magdalena Skipper, of the journal Nature, described the match as 'truly stunning'. Oxford University researcher Sir Walter Bodmer said: 'It's an extraordinary result.' The study also showed that the Cornish have fewer genes in common with the rest of the UK than the people of Devon. Sir Walter said this can likely be explained by the Anglo-Saxons taking longer to reach Cornwall – and so contributing less DNA to the gene pool there than in Devon. He added that there would also have been political and cultural barriers 'not to cross into Devon' He said: 'People from Cornwall wanted to keep to themselves more.' They may share a coastline, but the people living in Devon, shown left in the picture of Woolacombe, and in Cornwall, shown right in the picture of Mawgan Porth, were found to make up two distinct genetic groups Advertisement

It includes contributions from some of the earliest modern Britons who arrived after the last Ice Age and mystery set of migrants who came here after these first settlers but before the Romans.

Britain today is much more genetically diverse that 125 years ago but the same technique could be used to read someone's DNA and work out which parts of the UK their ancestors came from.

The study took into account the fact that Roman soldiers came from many different countries and not just Italy.

Sir Walter said: 'At that time, the population of Britain could have been as much as one million, so an awful lot of people would need to arrive in order for there to be an impact.

'You can have a huge impact culturally from relatively few people.

'There is no evidence of a Roman genetic signature but there is evidence of what the Roman's achieved.'

Dr Michael Dunn, of the Wellcome Trust, which funded the study, said: 'These researchers have been able to use modern genetic techniques to provide answers to the centuries' old question – where we come from.

'Beyond the fascinating insights into our history, this information could prove very useful from a health perspective.

'Building a picture of population genetics at this scale may in future help us to design better genetic studies to investigate disease.'