Jason Momoa

Momoa in 2011, Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa

Place of Birth: Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.

Date of Birth: August 1, 1979

Ethnicity:
*father – Native Hawaiian, small amount of English
*mother – German, possibly other

Jason Momoa is an American actor, model, director, writer, and producer. He plays Arthur Curry / Aquaman in the DC Cinematic Universe. His roles also include the films Johnson Family Vacation, Conan the Barbarian (2011), as the title character; Bullet to the Head, Road to Paloma, which he also directed and co-wrote; Debug, Wolves (2014), Sugar Mountain, The Bad Batch, Braven, Sweet Girl, Dune (2021), Slumberland, and Fast X, and the series Baywatch: Hawaii, North Shore, Stargate Atlantis, Game of Thrones, The Red Road, Frontier, and See.

Jason was born in Honolulu, the son of Coni, a photographer, and Joseph Momoa, a painter. Jason’s father is from a Native Hawaiian family, with a small amount of English ancestry, from Massachusetts. Jason’s mother is of mostly German descent, and is from Norwalk, Iowa, where Jason was raised. Jason’s mother is also said to have Irish and Native American ancestry. Her own maternal grandfather was adopted, and it is not clear what his biological ancestry was.

Jason is married to actress Lisa Bonet, with whom he has two children. His stepdaughter is actress Zoë Kravitz.

Jason’s paternal grandfather was Louis Kuulei Momoa, Jr. (the son of Louis Kuulei Momoa and Jennie/Jenny Kini Malaya). Jason’s grandfather Louis was born in Hawaii. Jason’s great-grandfather Louis was the son of Leonard Puakanui Momoa and Julia Kuuianao Kaluna. Jennie was the daughter of John Kane “Johnny” Malaya/Malaea/Malia and Sarah/Syria Thomas Williams.

Jason’s paternal grandmother was Phyllis Rose Leilani Kaeo (the daughter Joseph Namakaha Kaeo, Jr. and Edith Kahili Keaulana). Phyllis was born in Hawaii. Joseph was the son of David Kawaihalau Namakeha Kaeo and Lucinda Kinia Wright, whose grandfather was from Massachusetts.

Jason’s maternal grandfather is Delaine William Lemke (the son of Erich Albert Nicholas Lemke and Edna Anna Vohs). Delaine was born in Iowa. Erich was born in Iowa, to German parents, Peter Lemke and Wilhelmina Feige. Edna was also born in Iowa, also to German parents, from Holstein, Wilhelm F. Vohs and Dorothy “Dora” Marie Grutmacher Schroeder.

Jason’s maternal grandmother is Mabel L. Hoult (the daughter of Louis Smith Hoult and Edith Mae Wenzel). Mabel was born in Iowa. Louis was adopted by George C. Hoult and Fannie Doyle, who was born in Ireland; Louis was the biological son of George Sinkey. Edith was the daughter of John Adam Wenzel, who was born in Illinois, to German parents, and of Emma Susan Ritzhaupt, who was born in Iowa, to German parents, Balthasar/Balzar/Baltzer Ritzhaupt and Wilhelmina “Minnie” Bettleman.

Sources: Genealogy of Jason Momoa – http://www.geni.com

Jason’s paternal grandfather, Louis Kuulei Momoa, Jr., on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Jason’s paternal great-grandmother, Jennie/Jenny Kini Malaya, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Jason’s paternal great-great-grandfather, John Kane “Johnny” Malaya/Malaea/Malia, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Draft record of Jason’s paternal great-great-grandfather, John Kane “Johnny” Malaya/Malaea/Malia – https://www.familysearch.org

Birth record of Jason’s paternal great-great-grandmother, Sarah/Syria Thomas Williams – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Jason’s paternal great-grandfather, Joseph Namakaha Kaeo, Jr. – http://files.usgwarchives.net

Jason’s maternal great-grandparents, Erich Albert Nicholas Lemke and Edna Anna Vohs, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Jason’s maternal great-grandmother, Edna Anna Vohs, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Obituaries of Jason’s maternal great-grandparents, Louis Smith Hoult and Edith Mae Wenzel – http://www.findagrave.com

Jason’s maternal great-grandmother, Edith Mae Wenzel, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

60 Responses

  1. ethnogenesis says:

    Like Kalani Queypo, the “Blackfoot” claims who also resided in Alberta Canada and Montana US, considering laws in each country determined how “Native” or American Indian someone is differed in Canada and USA, but I read Jason Momoa is checking if he is of Pawnee ancestry. Canada and the US being nationalities, it is also true for Blackfoot and Pawnee to consider themselves nations in addition to being “tribes” of Indigenous American or First Nations if they originate in Canada instead.

  2. indo says:

    He looks racially ambiguous.

  3. jonasbttencourt says:

    He does look half german half native hawaiian, surprised to see he has brittish in him.

  4. JRose says:

    Why is everyone debating what he looks like??…He literally looks like what he is. Mainly Native Hawaiian, and German with a little English. I see all three in him. Mostly the Hawaiin and German for sure. Yes his skin is “darker” like Native Hawaiians but he also has that golden tone to it that so many Germans have…yes most Germans tan well, even most of the blondes, they get a golden tone. His hair also seems to bleach lighter in the sun from what I have read and observed about him….another German trait. But overall, I see both Hawaiian and German in his facial features.

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