There are lots of theories about the origin of the Hungarians . Huns , other tribes of Schytian origin , Turks , UralicAltaic forest dwellers are among the suspects . For clarity , it ' s necessary to understand the difference of actual genetic and cultural linguistic ancestry . The Hungarian language itself clearly belongs to the FinnoUgric family at its core the grammar and basic vocabulary are telling enough . Then came thick layers of protoTurkic , Iranian , Caucasian etc loanwords marking the cultures they encountered on their long way around the Steppe and beyond . More layers were absorbed into the language as they migrated futher to the West , Latin , German and Slavic are the widest , in this order . Contemporary Hungarian and Finnish are not by any means mutually intelligible , they must have been separated longlong ago and went by their own way of influences . Well , as a native Hungarian speaker I feel Finnish as tonally familiar , sounds like Hungarian in a way but the same time totally incomprehensible . Genetics is a different matter . Such a tribal conferedation is always a blend of different groups from the beginnings . It ' s clear from the sources that at least three large and countless smaller ancestral groups made up the seven plus three tribes arrived to the Carpathian Basin at the end of the 9 th century . The three mains may be Schytian so indoEuropean or indoIranian see also Sabirs , Onogurs , Bulgarians etc , Turkic and Turanic people . Hungarian ancestral myths are all pointing to the Schytians . This is a general term for the steppedwelling nomadic horse archers , speaking related languages , the Huns were only one but most prominent . They were the ones who first united their brothers and cousins then all the unfortunate passersbys by the sword and led them West . The Hunnic Empire at its zenith made up millions of the subjugated and only a fragment , maybe 30 . 000 ethnic Huns , the ruling tribe . After the death of Attila this nation was nearly anhilitated see the sons ' quest for power and then at Krimhilde ' s battle . A few of the survivors returned to their fathers land but , according to the Szkelys own ancestral legend , 3000 warriors with all the families they can gather weren ' t risk crossing the Steppes through all their former slaves thirsty for revenge . So they retreated to the isolated and moderately fertile valleys of the Eastern Carpathians , and kept their traditions till the Magyar cousins knocked on the door . So most propably there ' s few direct ancestry between Huns and Hungarians , except the Szkelys and maybe the royal rpd ' s tribe .