Hillary Clinton

Clinton in 2007, Albert H. Teich / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Hillary Diane Rodham

Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Date of Birth: October 26, 1947

Ethnicity:
*father – English, Welsh
*mother – Welsh, English, Scottish, French, French-Canadian, remote Dutch and Swiss-French

Hillary Clinton, also known as Hillary Rodham Clinton, is an American diplomat and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served as a U.S. Senator from New York, from January 3, 2001 to January 21, 2009, and as U.S. Secretary of State, from January 21, 2009 to February 1, 2013. She has also been Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, since January 2, 2020.

She was the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 2016, when she won the popular vote, but not the electoral college. Hillary is the first woman to have been nominated for the Presidency by a major political party. She was also a candidate for the Democratic Party’s 2008 presidential nomination.

Hillary’s father, Hugh Ellsworth Rodham, was of English and Welsh descent. Hillary’s mother, Dorothy Emma (Howell), had Welsh, English, Scottish, French, French-Canadian, and remote Dutch and Swiss-French, ancestry. Hillary is married to President Bill Clinton, and, as such, was First Lady of the United States, from 1993 to 2001. The couple’s daughter is Chelsea Clinton.

Seven of Hillary’s eight great-grandparents were born outside of the United States.

In her autobiography, Living History, 2004, Hillary stated that her maternal grandmother was of part Native American ancestry. The official website of the National First Ladies’ Library lists Hillary as having Native American ancestry. However, no Native American, or Native Canadian/First Nations, ancestry has been verified/documented for Hillary Clinton.

Genealogist William Addams Reitwiesner wrote Hillary’s ancestral lineage out as such, with approximate fractions:

*43.75% English
*31.25% Welsh
*13.28% Scottish
*11.62% French/French-Canadian
*0.1% Dutch
*0.05% Swiss-French

Hillary won 23 presidential nominating contests in 2008, and 34 in 2016, the most any woman has for a major American party’s presidential primary. Shirley Chisholm, who won three non-traditional contests in 1972, for the Democratic Party; and Nikki Haley, who won two primaries in 2024, for the Republican Party, are the only other women to have won a major party’s presidential nominating contest. Margaret Chase Smith was the first woman to launch a notable campaign for a major political party’s presidential nomination, in 1964, for the Republican Party (Shirley Chisholm and Patsy Mink, also running for the Democratic Party, both in 1972; were the second and third, respectively). Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman to have been nominated for Vice President of the United States by a major party, the Democratic Party, in 1984, and Kamala Harris, who was sworn in as Vice President in 2021, is the first woman to serve as either President or Vice President of the United States.

Hillary’s paternal grandfather was Hugh Simpson Rodham (the son of Jonathan Rodham and Isabella Simpson “Bella” Bell). Hugh was born in Kyo, Durham, England, to parents who were from Collierley, Durham. Jonathan was the son of Joseph Rodham and Elizabeth Scurfield. Isabella was the daughter of Thomas Bell and Elizabeth Dawson.

Hillary’s paternal grandmother was Hannah “Anna”/Annie Jones (the daughter of William Jones and Mary A. Griffiths). Hannah was born in Scranton, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, to Welsh parents. Mary was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, the daughter of Mary.

Hillary’s maternal grandfather was Edwin John Howell, Jr. (the son of Edwin John Howell and Emma Josephine Monk). Hillary’s grandfather Edwin was born in Elgin, Illinois. Hillary’s great-grandfather Edwin was born in Bristol, Gloucester, England, the son of Edwin Howell and Jane Sophia Babb. Hillary’s great-grandmother Emma was born in Canada, the daughter of John H. Monk, who was born in New York, to English parents; and of Sarah Abbs, who was English.

Hillary’s maternal grandmother was Della Murray (the daughter of Daniel/Donald Murray/Murry and Delia “Dilly” Martin). Hillary’s grandmother Della was born in Aurora, Illinois. Daniel was born in Godridge, Canada, the son of Scottish parents, Angus Murray and Effie McLain. Hillary’s great-grandmother Delia was born in Lake Superior, Michigan, the daughter of Antoine Martin, who was French, and of Mary Anne Frances McDougall, who was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and had French-Canadian, as well as Scottish, and very distant Dutch, ancestry.

Hillary’s matrilineal line can be traced to Jeanne Ducorps dit Leduc, who was born, c. 1649, in France.

Hillary’s step-grandfather was Max Rosenberg, a Russian Jewish immigrant. Max married Hillary’s maternal grandmother, Della Murray, and the couple had a daughter, Adeline (Rosenberg) Friedman. Adeline formally converted to Judaism later in life, after marrying a Jewish man, Clarence Friedman.

Hillary’s brother, Tony Rodham, was married to Nicole Boxer, the daughter of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, and the two have a son.

Sources: Genealogies of Hillary Clinton – http://www.wargs.com
http://www.geni.com
http://famouskin.com
http://www.wikitree.com
http://www.perche-quebec.com

Notes on Hillary’s ancestry, by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, for Irish America Magazine – http://irishamerica.com

Genealogies of Hillary’s parents – http://www.findagrave.com