Ronda Rousey

Rousey in 2011, photo by PrPhotos

Birth Name: Ronda Jean Rousey

Place of Birth: Riverside, California, United States

Date of Birth: February 1, 1987

Ethnicity: English, one quarter Trinidadian and Grenadian [including African, Spanish, and English], one sixteenth Polish, as well as German, Scottish, distant Dutch

Ronda Rousey is an American professional wrestler, actress, author, mixed martial artist, and judoka. She is signed to WWE, performing on the Raw brand. She was Strikeforce’s last Women’s Bantamweight Champion, and then fought with UFC. She has appeared in the films The Expendables 3, Furious 7, and Mile 22. She uses the “Rowdy” nickname from Roddy Piper. She is also known as “The Baddest Woman On The Planet.”

Ronda is the daughter of AnnMaria De Mars (born Waddell), a technology executive, author, and judoka, and Ronald John Rousey. Her mother, nicknamed “The Animal,” was the first American to win a gold medal at the World Judo Championships, competing in the -56 kg weight class, in the 1984 World Judo Tournament. She is also an activist for Native Americans. When she was three, Ronda’s family moved to Jamestown, North Dakota, though she was also partly raised back in California.

Ronda is married to UFC fighter Travis Browne, with whom she has a daughter.

Ronda’s maternal grandfather was of Trinidadian and Grenadian descent, including African, Spanish, and English ancestry. Ronda’s other ancestry is English, 1/16th Polish, German, Scottish, and distant Dutch. A picture of Ronda with her mother can be seen here.

Ronda has said that her ancestry is “half venezuelan, a quarter English, a quarter polish, 100% American.” Her reference to “Venezuelan” ancestry likely refers to the fact that the island of Trinidad, where her grandfather’s family was from, is just 11km off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. Ronda’s first three fractions are not quite correct: she is of one quarter Caribbean ancestry, not half, she has English ancestry, to one degree or the other, from all four of her grandparents, and her Polish ancestry is one sixteenth, not one quarter.

Ronda’s paternal grandfather was John Edward Rousey (the son of Clarence James Rousey and Theresa Ellen De Moss). John was born in Illinois. Clarence was the son of Lee or John Henry Rousey and Brunetta Lee Westerfield. Theresa was the daughter of Edward De Moss and Jane Shepard.

Ronda’s paternal grandmother was Jean Orvetta Zifka (the daughter of Charles O. Zifka and Lenice O. Dilley). Jean was born in Wisconsin. Charles was born in Wisconsin, to a Polish father, Lawrence Zifka, and an American mother, Elzina/Elsina Smith. Lenice was the daughter of Logan Dilley and Alta Celia Fry.

Ronda’s maternal grandfather was Joseph Arthur Waddell (the son of Alfred Ernest Waddell and Emelia/Amelia Maria/Mona Castillo). Joseph was born in New York. Alfred was born on Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago, and was a prominent physician. He was the son of Joseph Thomas Waddell, who was born in Hackney, London, England; and of Claudine Angus Abbott, who was from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Ronda’s great-grandmother Emelia was born on Trinidad, the daughter of Pedro Castillo and Maria Hernandez.

Ronda’s maternal grandmother is Marcella Ann Austin (the daughter of Anthony Bernard Austin and Reva/Rena F. Landon). Marcella was born in Illinois. Anthony was born in Indiana, the son of Richard A. Austin and Sarah E. Leonard. Reva was born in Illinois, the daughter of Laurence/Lawrence Landon and Mayme E. Price.

Sources: Genealogies of Ronda Rousey – http://www.geni.com
http://gw.geneanet.org

Obituary, and partial genealogy, of Ronda’s father – http://www.findagrave.com

Ronda’s paternal great-grandfather, Charles O. Zifka, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Charles O. Zifka on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Genealogy of Ronda’s maternal grandfather, Joseph Arthur Waddell – https://www.wikitree.com

Ronda’s maternal grandfather, Joseph Arthur Waddell, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Ronda’s maternal great-grandparents, Alfred Ernest Waddell and Emelia/Amelia Maria/Mona Castillo – https://familysearch.org

Ronda’s maternal grandmother, Marcella Ann Austin, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org