Yes, two siblings can have different AncestryDNA results—and that’s completely normal.

Why it happens:

Siblings each inherit 50% of their DNA from each parent, but not necessarily the same 50%. The specific combination of genes passed down is random.

What this means:

  • One sibling might inherit more DNA from, say, a grandparent of Italian descent, while the other gets more from a grandparent of Irish descent.

  • As a result, their ethnicity estimates can differ, sometimes significantly, even though they share the same parents.

But some things stay consistent:

  • Siblings will share a high amount of DNA, typically around 50%.

  • They will appear as close matches (siblings) in the DNA match section of AncestryDNA.

Example:
One sibling might be 30% Scandinavian and 20% West African, while another is 25% Scandinavian and 25% West African.