Meghan Markle

by brookie on February 2, 2018

Photo by kathclick /Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Rachel Meghan Markle

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: August 4, 1981

Ethnicity:
*father – German, English, Irish, Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and remote French
*mother – African-American

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is an American actress, model, and humanitarian.

Duchess Meghan is the daughter of Doria Loyce (Ragland) and Thomas Wayne Markle, a lighting director who worked on Married… with Children. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Her father is white and her mother is black. A picture of Duchess Meghan with her father can be seen here. Pictures of Duchess Meghan with her mother can be seen here and here. More pictures of her family, specifically her mother’s side, can be seen here.

An essay Duchess Meghan composed about her biracial identity can be read here. She writes, among other things:

‘What are you?’ A question I get asked every week of my life, often every day… ‘Where are your parents from?’… While I could say Pennsylvania and Ohio… I instead give them what they’re after: ‘My dad is Caucasian and my mom is African American. I’m half black and half white.’…

While my mixed heritage may have created a grey area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that. To say who I am, to share where I’m from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman. That when asked to choose my ethnicity in a questionnaire as in my seventh grade class, or these days to check ‘Other’, I simply say: ‘Sorry, world, this is not Lost and I am not one of The Others. I am enough exactly as I am.’

She has also specified:

My mom is black and my dad is Dutch and Irish, so the texture of my hair is densely curly. I’ve been getting Brazilian blowouts for a couple of years.

Duchess Meghan’s Dutch ancestry is really Pennsylvania Dutch, the name for ethnic Germans who lived in Pennsylvania; her German ancestry includes Alsatian Germans. Her father also has a preponderance of English ancestry, with Colonial American roots going back to the 1600s, as well as some Irish, Scottish, and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and remote French, ancestry. Duchess Meghan and her husband Harry share a common ancestor in the 1500s; the details of this remote genealogical relation can be seen here.

Duchess Meghan’s maternal grandparents were/are both black, from African-American families.

Duchess Meghan has also said:

I took an African-American studies class at Northwestern (university) where we explored colourism; it was the first time I could put a name to feeling too light in the black community, too mixed in the white community… For castings, I was labelled ‘ethnically ambiguous’. Was I Latina? Sephardic (Jewish)? Exotic Caucasian?

Several web sites have stated that Duchess Meghan’s father is Jewish. This is not accurate. While her wedding to her first husband, producer Trevor Engelson, was Jewish or had Jewish elements, that is because Trevor is Jewish. It is possible that Duchess Meghan converted to Trevor’s faith, but there is no particular indication of this being the case. She joined the Church of England upon marrying Prince Harry.

Photo by DFree/Bigstock.com

Duchess Meghan’s paternal grandfather was Gordon Arnold Markel/Markle (the son of Isaac Thomas Markel/Markle and Ruth Ann Arnold). Gordon was born in Pennsylvania. Isaac was the son of George Benjamin McClellian Markle and Mary Jane Mangle/Mengle. Ruth was the daughter of Adam A. Arnold and Martha Jane “Mattie” Sykes.

Duchess Meghan has said:

I rarely saw my Grandma Markle, as she hailed from New Hampshire and spent much of her life in Pennsylvania and Florida…

Duchess Meghan’s paternal grandmother was Doris Mary/May Rita Sanders (the daughter of Frederick/Fred George Sanders and Gertrude May Merrill). Doris was born in New Hampshire. Frederick was the son of George Sanders and Maria Belle Ellsworth. Gertrude was the daughter of George David Merrill and Mary Bird, who was born in Malta, to an English father and an Irish mother. Her family moved to Canada.

Duchess Meghan’s maternal grandfather was Alvin Azell/Azella Ragland (the son of Steven/Steve R. Ragland and Louise “Lois” Russell). Alvin was born in Tennessee, and was African-American. Steven was the son of Jeremiah/Jerrymiah/Jerry Miah Ragland and Claudie/Claudia Ritchie/Richie. Lois was the daughter of James Cunagan Russell and Virginia Lee Betts/Bettes.

Duchess Meghan’s maternal grandmother was Jeanette Arnold (the daughter of James Arnold and Netty/Nettie Mae Allen). Jeanette was born in Ohio, and was African-American. Nettie was the daughter of Luther Hunter Allen and Gertrude Parks.

Sources: Family histories of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex – http://www.dailymail.co.uk
http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Genealogies of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex – http://gw.geneanet.org
https://www.geni.com
http://i.dailymail.co.uk
http://www.famechain.com
https://famouskin.com
https://www.wikitree.com
https://1.bp.blogspot.com

Genealogy of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (focusing on her father’s side) – http://www.dailyitem.com

Marriage announcement of Duchess Meghan’s paternal grandparents, Gordon Arnold Markel/Markle and Doris Mary/May Rita Sanders – https://www.newspapers.com

Marriage record of Duchess Meghan’s paternal grandparents, Gordon Arnold Markel/Markle and Doris Mary/May Rita Sanders – https://familysearch.org

Duchess Meghan’s paternal grandfather, Gordon Arnold Markel/Markle, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Genealogies of Duchess Meghan’s father (focusing on his mother’s side) – http://www.gamblinfamily.org
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Duchess Meghan’s paternal grandmother, Doris Mary/May Rita Sanders, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Doris Mary/May Rita Sanders on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Genealogy of Duchess Meghan’s paternal grandmother, Doris Mary/May Rita Sanders (focusing on her own mother’s side) – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Marriage record of Duchess Meghan’s paternal great-grandparents, Frederick/Fred George Sanders and Gertrude May Merrill – https://familysearch.org

Duchess Meghan’s paternal great-grandparents, Frederick/Fred George Sanders and Gertrude May Merrill, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Genealogy of Duchess Meghan’s paternal great-grandmother, Gertrude May Merrill (focusing on her own father’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com

Duchess Meghan’s paternal great-grandmother, Gertrude May Merrill, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Duchess Meghan’s paternal great-great-grandparents, George David Merrill and Mary Bird, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Information about Duchess Meghan’s paternal great-great-grandmother, Mary Bird’s, family – http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Genealogies of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.famechain.com

Duchess Meghan’s maternal great-grandfather, Steven/Steve R. Ragland, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Duchess Meghan’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Jeremiah/Jerrymiah/Jerry Miah Ragland, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Death record of Duchess Meghan’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Jeremiah/Jerrymiah/Jerry Miah Ragland – https://familysearch.org

Genealogy of Meghan’s maternal grandmother, Jeanette (Arnold) Johnson – https://www.familysearch.org

Meghan Markle

Photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com

Duchess Meghan’s father’s ancestry first documented on the internet by Follers (May 21, 2017)

Tagged as: African American, Alsatian, English, French, German, Irish, Northern Irish, Scots-Irish, Scottish

{ 127 comments }

Cynthia Erivo

by follers on August 16, 2015

Cynthia Erivo – 72nd Annual Tony Awards – Arrivals – Radio City Music Hall – New York City, NY, USA – Photo Credit: Lisa Holte / PRPhotos.com

Birth Name: Cynthia Chinasaokwu O. Erivo

Place of Birth: Lambeth, London, England, U.K.

Date of Birth: 8 January, 1987

Ethnicity: Nigerian

Cynthia Erivo is a British actress, singer, and songwriter. Her parents are Nigerian.

Tagged as: African, Nigerian

{ 0 comments }

Ryan Gosling

by ethnic on January 1, 2015

Birth Name: Ryan Thomas Gosling

Place of Birth: London, Ontario, Canada

Date of Birth: November 12, 1980

Ethnicity: French-Canadian (half), English, Scottish, Irish, as well as 1/32 German, likely 1/128th African-American

Ryan Gosling is a Canadian actor, writer, director, musician, and producer. He is the son of Donna and Thomas Gosling. Ryan was raised in a Mormon (Latter Day Saint) family. He has two children with his partner, American actress Eva Mendes.

Ryan is the first person born in the 1980s to have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor (for Half Nelson, 2006), and thus could be considered the first millennial to have done so. He is also one of three males born in 1980 or after to have received more than one Academy Award nomination for acting (Jonah Hill and Eddie Redmayne are the others).

Ryan is of approximately half French-Canadian ancestry (his father is of roughly three eighths French-Canadian descent, and his mother is of roughly five eighths French-Canadian ancestry). Ryan’s other roots include English, Scottish, Irish, and 1/32 German. Ryan and singers Justin Bieber and Avril Lavigne are distant cousins, connected through Québec’s earliest French settlers.

Ryan’s five times paternal great-grandfather, James-Jacques Robinson/Robertson, was described as “Negro” (black) in contemporaneous records, and may have been from the United States. He married Ryan’s five times great-grandmother, Marie Trottier, who was French-Canadian. This likely makes Ryan of approximately 1/128th African-American ancestry.

Ryan’s paternal grandfather was George Bigelow Gosling (the son of George Percy Gosling and Bessie Rae/Ray Bigelow). Ryan’s grandfather George was born in Cornwall, Stormont, Ontario. Ryan’s great-grandfather George was the son of George Edward Gosling, who was born in Paddington, Middlesex, England, and of Caroline Minerva Snetsinger. Bessie was the daughter of William Samuel Bigelow, who was English, and of Mary Miller, who was Scottish, from Perthshire.

Ryan’s paternal grandmother was Mary Yvette Brown (the daughter of Joseph Brown and Mary Ann/Marie-Anne Bélaire). Ryan’s grandmother Mary was born in North Glengarry, Stormont, Ontario. Joseph was the son of Frederick/Frederic Brown, an English immigrant, and of Rose/Rosalie Anna Proulx, who had French-Canadian ancestry. Ryan’s great-grandmother Mary Ann was the daughter of Julien Olivier Belaire and Matilda/Mathilda Exilda Séguin, and also had French-Canadian ancestry.

Ryan’s maternal grandfather was Robert Thomas “Bob” Wilson (the son of Henry/Harry Thomas Wilson and Marie Georgina Victoria Dextras/Dextraze). Henry was the son of James Thomas Wilson, who was English, and of Bertha Louisa Hacker/Hackett, whose parents were from Wiltshire, England. Marie Georgina was of French-Canadian descent, the daughter of Joseph Dextras/Dextraze and Marie Célina Elizabeth Quenneville.

Ryan’s maternal grandmother is Ruby Kitts (the daughter of Gérald/Gerrold Kitts and Rose Emma Lalonde). Ruby is of mostly French-Canadian, and some Irish, descent. Gérald was the son of Henry John Kitts and Helen/Hélène Françoise “Ellen” Massia. Rose was the daughter of Alexandre/Alexander Lalonde and Catherine Harriet Piché/Picher.

Ryan’s matrilineal line can be traced back to Catherine Guyard, who was born, c. 1639, in Paris, France, and to Catherine’s mother, Madeleine Venne.

Sources: Genealogies of Ryan Gosling – http://www.nosorigines.qc.ca
https://www.geni.com
http://laurenandtristan.net
http://www.perche-quebec.com

Genealogies of Ryan Gosling (focusing on his father’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
http://famouskin.com

Genealogy of Ryan’s paternal great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Marie Trottier – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Ryan’s maternal grandmother, Ruby Kitts – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Genealogy of Ryan’s maternal great-grandfather, Gérald/Gerrold Kitts – https://www.findagrave.com

Report on Ryan’s distant relatives – http://www.torontosun.com

Family tree showing the relation between Ryan Gosling, Avril Lavigne, and Justin Bieber – http://www.aceshowbiz.com

s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

Tagged as: African American, English, French, French Canadian, German, Irish, Scottish

{ 31 comments }

Jeremy Ray Taylor

by follers on July 11, 2014

LOS ANGELES – SEP 05: Jeremy Ray Taylor, Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Wyatt Oleff, Jaeden Lieberher arrives ‘IT’ September 5, 2017 Hollywood, CA

Place of Birth: Bluff City, Tennessee, U.S.

Date of Birth: June 2, 2003

Ethnicity: English, other

Jeremy Ray Taylor is an American actor. He stars in the films It (2017) and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018).

Jeremy’s maternal grandfather is named William Pete Grubbs (the of Wilfred Wysor “Wimpy” “Champ” Gray, Jr. and Elinor Ruth Bowery). Elinor was the daughter of The Rev. John E. Bowery and Ora Osborne Bowery.

Jeremy’s maternal grandmother is named Diana.

Source: Obituary of Jeremy’s maternal great-grandmother, Elinor Ruth Bowery Gray – https://www.heraldcourier.com

Photo by DFree/Bigstock.com

Tagged as: English

{ 4 comments }

Jeff Bridges

by follers on March 30, 2014

Theatre West's 50th Anniversary Gala - Arrivals

Birth Name: Jeffrey Leon Bridges

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: December 4, 1949

Ethnicity: English, smaller amounts of Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Irish, Swiss-German, and German

Jeff Bridges is an American actor, singer, and producer. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Crazy Heart (2009).

He is the son of actors Lloyd Bridges (Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr.) and Dorothy Bridges (Dorothy Dean Simpson). His brother is actor Beau Bridges (Lloyd Vernet Bridges III), and his nephew is actor Jordan Bridges. He is married to Susan Geston, with whom he has three children.

His father was from a family that had long lived in the United States, and had English, and some Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), ancestry. His mother had English, Irish, Swiss-German, and German ancestry.

Jeff’s paternal grandfather was Lloyd Vernet Bridges (the son of John Hewston Bridges and Minnie H. Stanwood). Lloyd was born in Kansas. John was the son of James Graham Bridges and Dorothy Parthena Jane Cabe. Minnie was the daughter of a man surnamed Stanwood and Mary Ellen Tibbetts.

Jeff’s paternal grandmother was Harriet Evelyn “Hattie” Brown (the daughter of Prairie Frank Brown and Mary/Maria Elizabeth Barnhill). Harriet was born in Kansas. Prairie was the son of Emerson Elisha Brown and Gratia Allbee/Albee. Mary/Maria Elizabeth was the daughter of John David Barnhill and Lydia Ann Case.

Jeff’s maternal grandfather was Frederick Walter Simpson (the son of Henry Simpson and Jane Anne Jago). Frederick was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. Henry was the son of William Henry Simpson and Sarah Ann Knowles. Jane was the daughter of William Jago and Susan Rutter.

Jeff’s maternal grandmother was Louise Myles (the daughter of Frederick William Myles and Eliza R. Gunter/Gunten/VanGunten). Louise was born in New Jersey. Frederick was born in Dublin, Ireland. Eliza was born in New Jersey, the daughter of Jacob Louis Gunten, who was Swiss-born, of Swiss-German descent, and of Philopene/Philipina Mantz, who was American-born, of German descent.

Sources: Genealogies of Jeff Bridges – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Jeff’s parents – https://www.findagrave.com

Genealogy of Jeff Bridges (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.wikitree.com

Jeff’s paternal grandparents, Lloyd Vernet Bridges and Harriet Evelyn “Hattie” Brown, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Jeff’s maternal grandfather, Frederick Walter Simpson, on the 1901 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Photo by PrPhotos

Tagged as: Academy Award for Best Actor, English, German, Irish, Northern Irish, Scots-Irish, Swiss, Swiss-German

{ 6 comments }

Jon Hamm

March 28, 2014

Birth Name: Jonathan Daniel Hamm Place of Birth: St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Date of Birth: March 10, 1971 Ethnicity: *37.5% German *37.5% English *25% Irish Jon Hamm is an American actor, director, and producer. He is the son of Deborah Jean (Garner) and Daniel Leonard Hamm. Jon’s paternal grandfather was Leonard Edward Hamm (the son […]

Read the full article →

Chris Hemsworth

December 17, 2009

Place of Birth: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Date of Birth: 11 August, 1983 Ethnicity: Dutch (maternal grandfather), English, Irish, 1/16th German, 1/16th Scottish Chris Hemsworth is an Australian actor. He is the brother of actors Luke Hemsworth and Liam Hemsworth. He is married to Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, with whom he has three children. Chris’s maternal […]

Read the full article →

Lasse Hallström

October 14, 2018

Birth Name: Lars Sven Hallström Place of Birth: Stockholm, Sweden Date of Birth: 2 June, 1946 Ethnicity: Swedish, as well as distant Danish and German Lasse Hallström is a Swedish film director. His father, Nils Axel Hallström, was a dentist. His mother, Karin (Lyberg), was a writer. Lasse is married to actress Lena Olin. He […]

Read the full article →

Dora Madison

October 14, 2018

Birth Name: Dora Madison Burge Place of Birth: Hutto, Williamson, Texas, U.S. Date of Birth: October 17, 1990 Ethnicity: English, Scottish, possibly other Dora Madison is an American actress. She is also sometimes credited as Dora Madison Burge. She is the daughter of Shanda and Richard Burge. Dora’s maternal grandfather was William Bruce Anthony (the […]

Read the full article →

Fabio Porchat

October 14, 2018

Birth Name: Fabio Porchat de Assis Place of Birth: Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Date of Birth: July 1, 1983 Ethnicity: Brazilian [Portuguese, possibly other], Italian, 1/32 Swiss-French, possibly English Fabio Porchat is a Brazilian actor, comedian, television host, and writer. Fabio is the son of Isabella (Robinson) and politician Fabio Ferrari Porchat […]

Read the full article →

Mitch Landrieu

October 14, 2018

Birth Name: Mitchell Joseph Landrieu Place of Birth: New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Date of Birth: August 16, 1960 Ethnicity: German, about 1/8th French, small amounts of Italian, Irish, and English Mitch Landrieu is an American politician and lawyer. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, from January 11, 2004 […]

Read the full article →

Teri Wyble

October 14, 2018

Birth Name: Teri Anne Wyble Place of Birth: Arnaudville, Louisiana, U.S. Date of Birth: March 23, 1985 Ethnicity: Cajun/French, with small amounts of English and German Teri Wyble is an American actress. Teri is the daughter of Angela and Huey Wyble. Teri’s paternal grandfather was Regis Wyble (the son of Edmond/Edmand Bernarde “LuLu” Wyble and […]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries