Piper Perabo

Perabo in 2012, photo by PR Photos

Birth Name: Piper Lisa Perabo

Place of Birth: Dallas, Texas, U.S.

Date of Birth: October 31, 1976

Ethnicity:
*50% Norwegian
*37.5% German
*12.5% mix of Irish and English

Piper Perabo is an American actress. Her roles include Coyote Ugly, Cheaper by the Dozen, Angel Has Fallen, and Covert Affairs, among other films and series.

Piper is the daughter of Mary and George Perabo. Her father is of German, and some Irish and English, descent. Her mother is of Norwegian descent. Her brother is actor Noah Perabo. She was named after actress Piper Laurie.

There are frequent statements in biographies of Piper Perabo that Perabo is a Portuguese surname, and/or that Piper Perabo’s father is of Portuguese ancestry. Piper herself has re-iterated these statements.

The surname Perabo is not Portuguese, nor are there any people of Portuguese ancestry with the surname Perabo, whose Portuguese ancestry originates from that surname. In fact, Piper’s Perabo line originates in Germany.

Piper is married to New Zealand actor, director, and writer Stephen Kay.

Piper’s paternal grandfather was Frederick William “Fred” Perabo (the son of Frederick/Fred Joseph Perabo and Edna Bertha Hammerstein). Piper’s grandfather Frederick was born in Missouri. Piper’s great-grandfather Frederick was German. He was born in Lorch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on December 26, 1878, the son of Valentine Perabo and Caroline Mohr. Valentine’s parents were Jacob Perabo, born c. 1807 in Lorch, and Caroline Diel.

Piper’s great-grandmother Edna was American-born, born in Missouri, and was the daughter of William Hammerstein and Mary Louisa/Lou Kleissle.

Piper’s paternal grandmother was Victoria Mabel Hernan (the daughter of Horace Smith Hernan and Theresa Hoehn). Victoria was born in Missouri. Horace was born in Maine, and had Irish and English ancestry. He was the son of Maurice Charles Hernan and Mabel Maria Smith. Theresa was of German descent, and was the daughter of George Leonard Hoehn and Victoria Mary Merstetter.

Piper’s maternal grandfather was Oscar Selmer Ulland (the son of Olans Ulland and Maria “Mary” P. Swenson). Olans was born in Minnesota, to Norwegian parents. Maria was born in Iowa, also to Norwegian parents.

Piper’s maternal grandmother was Charlotte O. Mattson (the daughter of Edward “Ed” Mattson and Elisa/Lisa Lovold/Louvauld). Charlotte was born in Minnesota. Edward and Elisa were both Norwegian immigrants.

Sources: A discussion of the Perabo family origins – http://www.perabo.info

Piper’s paternal grandfather, Frederick William “Fred” Perabo, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Frederick William “Fred” Perabo on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Frederick William “Fred” Perabo on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Piper’s paternal grandmother, Victoria Mabel Hernan, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Piper’s maternal grandfather, Oscar Selmer Ulland, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Piper’s maternal grandmother, Charlotte O. Mattson (“Carlotte Matson”), on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

35 Responses

  1. andrew says:

    there’s no way that Perabo is a German surname, I think her ancestor left Portugal to Germany long time ago

    • nnnnn says:

      Of course, it’s not some Müller or Schultze.
      I would say, it’s the same as De Maiseree, Lafontaine
      or Buffier, they are 99% german by blood, but they
      have hugenot name. Maybe Perabo was Perabeau or
      so

  2. sadie says:

    What idiotic comments, Norwegians are white. You are so racist!

  3. Roger Is My Lover says:

    Is Perabo a Portuguese name?

    • follers says:

      Piper Perabo’s paternal great-grandfather, Frederick Joseph Perabo, was German, not Portuguese. He was born in Lorch, Germany, on December 26, 1878, the son of Valentine Perabo and Caroline Mohr. Valentine’s parents were Jacob Perabo (born in Lorch, Germany, in 1807) and Caroline Diel. See a discussion of the Perabo family below
      http://www.perabo.info/blog/discussion-between-noah-chris-perabo_66/

      Frederick Joseph Perabo’s wife, Edna B., was American-born and also of German descent. Frederick’s son, Frederick William Perabo, was Piper’s paternal grandfather. Piper’s paternal grandmother was Victoria Mabel Hernan. Hernan is an Irish surname.

      P.S., ethnic, this has to be the weirdest case ever of “fake ethnicity”. I was really quite shocked when I found this out two years ago because I always read she was of Portuguese descent. But nobody named “Perabo” is Portuguese and certainly no one on her tree! All Perabos are German. Does Piper believe that the name is Portuguese? The person in the discussion in the link, Noah Perabo, is Piper’s brother! So she has to know.

      correction

    • andrew says:

      You previously stated that you were born in Afghanistan. I will look for your birth certificate on familysearch.org

  4. ONLY ANGLO-SAXONS ARE WHITE says:

    PIPER IS NOT WHITE!

    The Portuguese gave the greatest relation to the Scots and Irish in all of Europe, but since they are not Anglo, they are not white. Norwegians are not Anglo either. So neither are they.

    Check the Tom Hanks’ page where Lopac declares that only Anglos (a.k.a English) are white!

  5. Coming Out says:

    Shes got that good thickness to her, great latin body

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