Ariana Grande
![Ariana_shutterstock_91188221 Ariana Grande](https://ethnicelebs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Ariana_shutterstock_91188221.jpg)
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](http://ethnicelebs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Ariana-Grande2.jpg)
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
![](http://ethnicelebs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Frankie-Grande.jpg)
Ariana’s half-brother, Frankie Grande, 2008, photo by Prphotos.com
his mother*
“Eddie was born on September 20, 1958 and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey. He graduated from the NYIT in 1981 with a degree in advertising and design. He then worked at different design companies in New York City where he met Joan Grande in the early ’90s. ”
This is the only Anthony V. Butera lived in Maplewood, New Jersey.
Anthony V Butera
in the 1940 United States Federal Census
Name: Anthony V Butera
Age: 12
Estimated birth year: abt 1928
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: New Jersey
Marital Status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Son
Home in 1940: Maplewood, Essex, New Jersey
and her mother was born in ITALY
Name: Marie Butera
Age: 39
Estimated birth year: abt 1901
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: Italy
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=Anthony++V.&gsfn_x=1&gsln=Butera&gsln_x=1&msypn__ftp=Maplewood%2c+Essex%2c+New+Jersey%2c+USA&msypn=7813&msypn_PInfo=8-|0|1652393|0|2|3244|33|0|988|7813|0|&msypn_x=1&msypn__ftp_x=1&MSAV=1&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&uidh=a02&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=134575218&db=1940usfedcen&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1&hovR=1
Felmino “Philomena” Grande in the 1940 Census
Age 43, born abt 1897
Birthplace Italy
Gender Female
Race White
http://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/New-York/Philomena-Grande_840s7
Anthony Grande in the 1940 Census
Age 40, born abt 1900
Birthplace Italy
Gender Male
Race White
http://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/New-York/Anthony-Grande_840s6
Frank’s parents (Ariana’s great grandparents), Anthony (Antonio) and Philomena (Felmino) Grande, were both born in Italy.
This site should specificated more about her ancestors
Her mother is Abruzzesse and Her father is Siciliano
Her father is called Edward Butera, Butera is a place in SICILIA
so is a sicilian surname
Ariana Grande has said that she has Italian ancestry, stating that she is half Sicilian and half Abruzzese (Abruzzo is an Italian state on the east coast of the country). Both her father and mother are of Italian descent. Her great-great Grandfather Sabato Grande was a native of Lanciano, Italy. Ariana has found through DNA ethnicity tests that she is part North African and heavily Greek, which she tweeted. Ariana’s grandfather, Frank Anthony Grande, who passed away in 2014, was born October 23, 1923 in Kings County, New York. Frank met his wife Marjorie as teenagers while they were growing up on the same street in an Italian neighborhood in New York. Frank Grande and Marjorie married soon after he graduated high school. Frank enlisted in the United States Navy on May 10, 1943 as a skilled mechanic. Steelers Lounge http://steelerslounge.com/2016/01/lost-ancestry-ariana-grande-8217-s-ancient-abruzzese/241183/
Thanks for the info Luckystar.
Frank’s parents (Ariana’s great grandparents), Anthony (Antonio) and Philomena (Felmino) Grande, were both born in Italy. Anthony was born in Italy in 1900 and emigrated with his parents Sabato and Raffael Grande in May 1903. Sabato Grande was born in July, 1877 in Italy; Raffaela was born in 1876 in Italy.
Philomena Grande in the 1940 Census
http://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/New-York/Philomena-Grande_840s7
she was born in italy :)
Mexicans look Native American