Amanda Bynes

Bynes in 2008, Entertainment Press / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Amanda Laura Bynes

Place of Birth: Thousand Oaks, Ventura, California, United States

Date of Birth: April 3, 1986

Ethnicity:
*father – Polish, as well as Lithuanian, Irish
*mother – Ashkenazi Jewish

Amanda Bynes is an American actress, comedian, fashion designer, and show host on Nickelodeon. She is known for the series All That, Figure It Out, The Amanda Show, and What I Like About You, the films Big Fat Liar, What a Girl Wants, Robots, Love Wrecked, She’s the Man, Hairspray, Sydney White, and Easy A, and the made-for-tv movie Living Proof.

Amanda is the daughter of Lynn, a dental assistant and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist. Her father is Catholic, and is of Polish, as well as Lithuanian and Irish, descent. Amanda’s mother is Jewish, of Polish Jewish, Russian Jewish, and Romanian Jewish descent, with more distant Czech Jewish, German Jewish, and Austrian Jewish ancestry. Amanda was raised around both faiths and has described herself as Jewish, as well as, as undecided between religions.

Amanda’s paternal grandfather was Richard Joseph Bynes (the son of Joseph Bynes/Bines/Bisnes/Benis and Ellen/Helen N. Quinn). Richard was born in Illinois. Amanda’s great-grandfather Joseph was Lithuanian. Ellen was born in Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Amanda’s paternal grandmother was Helen Eleonor Knitter (the daughter of John Knitter and Frances/Francis Megel/Migel). Helen was born in North Dakota. John was born in Poland, the son of Johann/John August Knitter and Marcianna Mary Klopotek; he may have also had German ancestry, as his surname is German. Frances was born in Wisconsin, the daughter of Wincenty/Vincent Gabriel Migelski/Megel/Migel and Franciszka Józefina Gostomska/Gostomski, who were Polish. Frances’s ancestry can be traced in Poland as far back as the 1700s.

Amanda’s maternal grandfather was Aharon “Arnold” Organ (the son of Harry Organek and Dora/Dubba Organek). Aharon was raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the son of Polish Jewish parents. Harry was the son of Chaim/Hyman Laib Organkiewicz/Organek, who was born in Górno, Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, and of Yetta Baltman/Beltman, who was born in Lagow, Swietkrzyskie. Dora was the daughter of Mendell Organek and Esther.

Amanda’s maternal grandmother was Chaya “Anne” Tobias (the daughter of Shmuel/Shmelke Taubes/Tobias and Hinde Zelikovitch). Chaya was from Toronto, and was also Jewish. Shmuel was born in Vaslui, Romania, the son of Alexander Sender Taubes and Shprintza/Sprintzes Taubes. Hinde was also born in Vaslui, and was the daughter of Abraham Ben Yehuda Leib Zelacovitch and Cecile/Zisi.

Sources: Genealogy of Amanda Bynes – https://www.geni.com

Amanda’s paternal great-grandparents, Joseph Bynes/Bines/Bisnes/Benis and Ellen/Helen N. Quinn, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Joseph Bynes/Bines/Bisnes/Benis and Ellen/Helen N. Quinn on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Joseph Bynes/Bines/Bisnes/Benis and Ellen/Helen N. Quinn on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Amanda’s maternal great-grandmother, Dora/Dubba Organek – https://www.findagrave.com

Genealogies of Amanda’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Chaim/Hyman Laib Organkiewicz/Organek and Yetta Baltman – https://www.geni.com