Ellen DeGeneres

DeGeneres in 2011, Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Ellen Lee DeGeneres

Place of Birth: Metairie, Louisiana, U.S.

Date of Birth: January 26, 1958

Ethnicity: Cajun/French, English, Irish, German, distant Dutch and Swiss-German

Ellen DeGeneres is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She was the host of The Ellen DeGeneres Show from 2003 to 2022. She voiced Dory in the films Finding Nemo and Finding Dory.

Ellen is the daughter of Elizabeth Jane “Betty” (Pfeffer) and Elliott Everett DeGeneres. Her surname, DeGeneres, is of French origin, and her ancestry includes Cajun/French, English, Irish, German, and distant Dutch and Swiss-German. Ellen is married to Australian actress Portia de Rossi.

Ellen’s patrilineal line can be traced to Jean Baptiste DeGeneres, who was born, c. 1691, in Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, France. Jean Baptiste immigrated to Haiti.

Ellen’s paternal grandfather was Elliott/Elliot Everett DeGeneres (the son of Alfred George DeGeneres and Julia E. Bellieu/Billiu). Elliott was born in Mississippi. Alfred was the son of Joseph C. DeGeneres and Mary Whittemore. Julia was the daughter of John Sargent Billiu and Mary Frances Williams.

Ellen’s paternal grandmother was Ruth Elodie Martin (the daughter of Emile “Lee” Paul Martin and Jane “Jennie”/”Jeannie” G. Dickson). Ruth was born in Louisiana. Emile was the son of Pierre Numa Martin and Marguerite Elodie Bossie.

Ellen’s maternal grandfather was William Dick Pfeffer (the son of William Pfeffer and Pauline Schunke). Ellen’s grandfather William was born in Texas. Ellen’s great-grandfather William was the son of Phillip Pfeffer and Augusta Eliesa W. Koch, who were born in Germany. Pauline was also the daughter of German parents, William Schunke and Emelia Becker.

Ellen’s maternal grandmother was Mildred Morrill (the daughter of George Morrill and Mary Helen McArdle). Mildred was born in Louisiana, and was of Irish or significantly Irish ancestry. George was the son of Charles Morrill and Mary Fox. Mary Helen was the daughter of James Philip McArdle and Helen McBreen.

Sources: http://www.canada.com

Genealogies of Ellen DeGeneres – http://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com

Genealogy of Ellen DeGeneres (focusing on her father’s side) – http://www.famouskin.com

Lisa Kudrow discusses Ellen’s family tree – https://www.youtube.com

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

30 Responses

  1. Textine says:

    would’ve guessed as German or maybe more Austrian

  2. Oaken05 says:

    Can you slow down and offer better and more thoughtful commentary/discussion?

  3. Jacklyn 224 says:

    I thought she was Italian with Irish or German.Her name definitely gave off that impression.’de’appears in mostly Italian names and Spanish,french and less rare Irish name.

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