There are lots of stories that people with an ancestor named Hamilton are related to Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

I know that I am not related to him. I also know that 90% plus of families with a story that they are related are wrong.

The man only had two of his children who had children that lived long enough to repeat the process. After a little over 200 years later, he has about 250 known living descendants. It is very unlikely you are descended from the man. A known descendant is a participant in the Hamilton Surname DNA study, so if you have a living male relative with the Hamilton surname, you can quickly determine if you are a descendant or cousin.

Alexander had one brother, James, but there is no record of him every coming to the U.S.

It is possible that you could be distant cousins, but a paper trail is still needed to explain how you are related.

For the majority of people with the Hamilton surname, your relationship to Alexander Hamilton, the one on the ten dollar bill, is that you share the same surname.

Alexander is a very common name among Scottish people and their descendants. You may be descended from AN Alexander Hamilton, but not THE Alexander Hamilton.