Jeremy Allen White
White in 2013, photo by Prphotos
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: February 17, 1991
Ethnicity: Ukrainian (paternal grandmother), English, German, Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, distant French, Dutch, and Melungeon
Jeremy Allen White is an American actor. His roles include the shows Shameless, Homecoming, and The Bear, and the films The Speed of Life, Afterschool, Twelve (2010), The Time Being, Movie 43, Bad Turn Worse, After Everything, The Rental, Viena and the Fantomes, The Birthday Cake, Fremont, Fingernails, and The Iron Claw.
Jeremy’s parents have both previously acted. They have deep roots in North Carolina, each through at least one of their own parents. Jeremy was raised in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. He was a dancer as a child.
Jeremy is married to actress Addison Timlin, with whom he has two children.
Jeremy’s paternal grandfather was Allen Jesse White (the son of Ernest Wilson White and Leah Leola Rountree). Jeremy’s grandfather Allen was born in North Carolina, and came from a long line of Quakers in that state. Ernest was the son of Robert Jordan White and Elizabeth Ella Lane. Leah was the daughter of Jesse Augustus Rountree and Pleasant Ann Winslow.
Jeremy’s paternal grandmother was Ellen Vasilivna Lisovitch/Lesovitch (the daughter of Wasily/Vasily/Bazyli/Vasile John Lisovitch/Lesovitch/Lisowich and Efrosinia/Efrozena/Rose Serodinska/Serdynska). Jeremy’s grandmother Ellen was born in Pennsylvania, to parents who were Ukrainian emigrants, from Galicia, and were of the Eastern Orthodox faith. In her obituary, Ellen is described as “a daughter of Russian Orthodox immigrants.” She became a Quaker when she married Jeremy’s grandfather. Jeremy’s great-grandfather Wasily was the son of John V. Lisovitch and Catherine Mycek.
Jeremy’s maternal grandfather was Henry Julius Zeigler (the son of Henry Julius Zeigler and Ida Estelle “Essie” Kennedy). Jeremy’s grandfather Henry was born in South Carolina. Jeremy’s great-grandfather Henry was the son of Joseph/Joel D. Zeigler and Elizabeth/Eliza “Lizzie” Heaner, whose father was German. Ida was the daughter of Silas Cox Kennedy and Ida Susannah Catherine Funchess.
Jeremy’s maternal grandmother was Doris/Darris Eloise Ivey (the daughter of Rester Richard Ivey and Mary Herring). Doris was born in North Carolina. Rester was the son of Haynes Ivy, who was of part Melungeon descent, and of Florence Willoughby. Mary was the daughter of Robert Herring and Molly/Mollie Sealey/Sealy.
While Jeremy is sometimes described as Jewish on the internet, this is not accurate. He is not of Jewish heritage.
Sources: Jeremy’s paternal grandparents, Allen Jesse White and Ellen Vasilivna Lisovitch/Lesovitch, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Jeremy’s paternal great-grandfather, Ernest Wilson White – http://webcache.googleusercontent.com
Jeremy’s paternal grandmother, Ellen Vasilivna Lisovitch/Lesovitch, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituaries of Jeremy’s paternal grandmother, Ellen Vasilivna (Lisovitch/Lesovitch) White – https://www.newspapers.com
https://www.legacy.com
Jeremy’s paternal great-grandparents, Wasily/Vasily/Bazyli/Vasile John Lisovitch/Lesovitch/Lisowich and Efrosinia/Efrozena/Rose Serodinska/Serdynska, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Naturalization record of Jeremy’s paternal great-grandfather, Wasily/Vasily/Bazyli/Vasile John Lisovitch/Lesovitch/Lisowich – https://familysearch.org
Jeremy’s maternal grandfather, Henry Julius Zeigler, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Jeremy’s maternal great-grandfather, Henry Julius Zeigler – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Jeremy’s maternal great-grandmother, Ida Estelle “Essie” Kennedy (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com
Jeremy’s maternal grandmother, Doris/Darris Eloise Ivey, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Jeremy’s maternal great-grandfather, Rester Richard Ivey, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Rester Richard Ivey on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Jeremy’s maternal great-grandmother, Mary Herring, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
He looks like the Ashkenazi actor Gene Wilder
Through his Ivey and Britt ancestry, he’s descended from the mixed race people of the Carolinas who gave rise to the Melungeon people (and through that line, he’s a cousin of mine!).
freeafricanamericans.com <<< See the entries for the Britt and Ivey families.
Who were his last ancestors who were confirmed to have been people of colour/Melungeon? His great-grandfather and great-great-grandparents at the least are listed as white.
@follers
Census records may not be alwais exhaustive. I read that “Britt” is listed as Melungeon surname in some websites, so @transemacabre is probably right.
Btw I did a quick check of that line and its family tree looks to be of Colonial stock: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/LYCM-72H
*distant Lumbee Native American/Melungeon
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ivey-3012
Family members of his Ivey and Cox ancestors were listed as “other free persons” (applied to anyone who was not considered white or a slave) but also “molattoes”.