Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande

Grande in 2011, s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Ariana Grande-Butera

Place of Birth: Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.

Date of Birth: June 26, 1993

Ethnicity: Italian [including Sicilian]

Ariana Grande is an American singer and actress. She has starred on the shows Victorious, Sam & Cat, and Scream Queens, and appeared in the film Don’t Look Up. Her most popular songs include “The Way,” “Problem,” “Break Free,” “Bang Bang,” “Love Me Harder,” “Focus,” “Dangerous Woman,” “Side to Side,” “No Tears Left to Cry,” “God Is a Woman,” “Thank U, Next,” “7 Rings,” “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored,” “Boyfriend,” “Stuck with U,” “Rain on Me,” “Positions,” “Save Your Tears,” and “Die for You.”

Her mother, Joan Grande, has been CEO of the family firm, a manufacturer of communications and safety equipment. Her father, Edward Butera, owns a graphic design firm. Her parents are of Italian descent. She stated on her Twitter account that she is of half Sicilian and half Abruzzese Italian ancestry. Her maternal half-brother, Frankie Grande, is an actor, dancer, and musician. A picture of Ariana’s father can be seen here, and a picture of some of her father’s family can be seen here. A picture of Ariana’s mother can be seen here. A picture of Ariana’s paternal grandfather can be seen here, and a picture of Ariana with her maternal grandparents can be seen here.

Ariana’s paternal grandfather was Anthony Vincent Charles Butera (the son of Carlos/Charles Antonio Butera and Marie/Mary Passalaqua/Passalacqua). Anthony was born in New Jersey. Ariana’s great-grandfather Charles was born in New Jersey, to Italian parents, Antonino Butera and Magherita Azzara/Azzala, from Menfi, Provincia di Agrigento, Sicily. Marie was Italian. The surname Butera is Sicilian.

Ariana’s paternal grandmother was Florence P. Citrano (the daughter of Enrico “Henry” Cetrano and Lucia “Lucy” Ciarfella). Florence was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Italian emigrants, from Civitaquana, Abruzzo. Enrico was the son of Carmine Cetrano and Giulia/Julia Trabucco. Lucia was the daughter of Ascenzio Ciarfella and Margherita Taddeo.

Ariana’s maternal grandfather was Frank Anthony Grande (the son of Antonio “Anthony” Grande and Filomena/Felmino “Philomena”/”Phyllis” Lavenditti). Frank was born in New York, to Italian parents. Antonio was born, c. 1900, the son of Raffaela/Raffaele V. Grande (b. 1876) and Sabato/Rose Cardalisca (b. July 1877, in Lanciano, Province of Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy), and moved to the U.S. in May 1903. Ariana’s great-grandmother Filomena was the daughter of Francesco Lavenditti/La Venditti and Benedetta Perrotti. Ariana’s grandfather also had roots in Bojano and Gildone, in Campobasso.

Ariana’s maternal grandmother is Marjorie M. Damico (the daughter of John Viovanni Damico/D’Amico and Felomina F. “Minnie” Gigante). Marjorie was born in New York, to Italian parents, with roots in San Fele, Potenza, Basilicata.

Ariana also once twitted that she “just found out my grandparents are heavily greek and part north African,” and then specified “…the chart says Greece/Italy. I just thought it was funny. I’m assuming the North African bit is Moroccan or Tunisia?”

Ariana’s reference to “the chart” makes it likely that she took some sort of DNA test to map out her heritage. DNA tests for people of Sicilian descent sometimes indicate some kind of Greek or North African ancestry.

Ariana Grande 41st Annual American Music Awards - Arrivals

Grande in 2013, photo by Prphotos.com

Sources: Genealogies of Ariana Grande – https://www.geni.com
https://2.bp.blogspot.com

Ariana’s paternal grandfather, Anthony Vincent Charles Butera, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Ariana’s paternal grandmother, Florence P. (Citrano) Butera – https://www.obrienfuneralhome.com

History of Ariana’s maternal grandparents, Frank Anthony Grande and Marjorie M. Damico – https://www.youtube.com

Ariana’s half-brother, Frankie Grande, 2008, photo by Prphotos.com

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

871 Responses

  1. tinasheeeee says:

    she also said she thinks the north african comes from Morocco or Tunisia

  2. Nikki says:

    Or she could be egyptian. Thats in africa

    • tinasheeeee says:

      she don’t look Egyptian at all

      • Nikki says:

        well my friend has the same ethnicity as ariana, greek, italian, and egyptian, and she looks just like ari

        • tinasheeeee says:

          Ariana said she isn’t egyptian, maybe it’s because the greek & italian part they look a like, but ariana said she is greek, italian, north african (moroccan or tunisian)

        • Barbara Meek says:

          Same here, without the Egyptian. My mother’s father came from Italy and was 100% Italian, Neapolitan to be precise. And my biological father’s mother was born here, but her entire family on both sides came from Greece along with Turkish in there. Yet people think I’m Irish. Go figure. :) So I guess since Italy and Greece are neighbors, what does that make me? 50% Mediterranean? If so, I’ll take it! Damn proud of where my relatives came from! lol

          • andrew says:

            they’re not neighbours

          • tinasheeeee says:

            I’m proud of all my ethnicities also, people think I’m different things all the time. It’s probably because I’m mixed with different things lol

    • Barbara Meek says:

      She’s for most part of Italian descent. Period.

  3. Nikki says:

    Or she could look white but be african. I am a little african, and people think i am lying! But i am not

  4. Nikki says:

    Ariana is not African, she may be greek but not north african. This happens a lot. people think they are one ethnicity but they are not. It is heavily common. But ariana is not, North African. She looks greek tho.

  5. ssempre says:

    if you look at pictures of her as a kid, she is a lot lighter, she probably uses artificial tanning

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