There a genetic basis for having dry eyes?

Very rarely: There are some very rare genetic diseases that are associated with dry eyes. In the great majority of people dry eyes are not hereditary and they will not pass it on to their children. Dry eyes can be associated with some systemic conditions, such as sjogren's syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis, but most often the cause is unknown.

Not usually: Most dry eye is not due to generic or hereditary causes. Some disease which can cause dry eye can have a genetic component (such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis) but this accounts for only a few percentage of dry eye patients.