Mel Gibson

Gibson in 2010, photo by Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Mel Colmcille Gerard Gibson

Place of Birth: Peekskill, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: January 3, 1956

Ethnicity:
*87.5% Irish
*12.5% mix of English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, and Welsh

Mel Gibson is an American and Australian actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for Braveheart (1995).

Mel’s father was born in Peekskill, New York, to an American father and an Australian mother; he was of mostly Irish, with some English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, and Welsh, ancestry. Mel’s mother was Irish, and was born in County Longford. Mel and his family moved to Australia around the time he was twelve years old, settling in Sydney. Mel’s first and middle names, Mel and Colmcille, are the names of Irish saints.

He was previously married to Robyn Moore. He has seven children with Robyn, including actor Milo Gibson; he also has a daughter with his former partner, singer, songwriter, and pianist Oksana Grigorieva, and a son with his partner, equestrian vaulter and writer Rosalind Ross. One of his siblings, Donald Gibson, is also an actor.

Mel was the first person named People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” in 1985.

Mel’s patrilineal line can be traced to John Gibson, who was born, c. 1601, in England.

Mel’s paternal grandfather was John Hutton Gibson (the son of John Gerard Gibson and Susan Louisa Miller O’Farrell/Farrell). Mel’s grandfather John was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mel’s great-grandfather John was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of John Thomas Gibson and Sarah Louise Gerard, and had English, Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, and Welsh, ancestry. His family was involved in the tobacco business. Mel’s great-grandmother Susan was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of Matthew O’Farrell/Farrell and Annie, and was of Irish descent.

Mel’s paternal grandmother was Eva Mylott (Eva Teresa Mylott, the daughter of Patrick Mylott and Mary Heffernan). Eva, an Australian opera singer, was born in Tuross Head, New South Wales, to Irish parents. Patrick was the son of Patrick Mylott and Mary McDermott. Mel’s great-grandmother Mary Heffernan was the daughter of Edmund/Edmond Heffernan and Honora Ryan.

Sources: Genealogies of Mel Gibson (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.wargs.com
https://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com
https://gw.geneanet.org