Beyoncé
Beyoncé in 2010, photo by kathclick/bigstock.com
Birth Name: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
Place of Birth: Houston, Harris, Texas, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 4, 1981
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – Louisiana Creole, including African, French, Acadian/French-Canadian, as well as distant Irish and Breton, remote Penobscot First Nations
Beyoncé, also known as Harmonies by The Hive, Queen Bey or Queen B, Third Ward Trill, Sasha Fierce, and Beyoncé Knowles, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, director, and businessperson. She was a member of R&B girl group Destiny’s Child, along with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and also, originally, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson. As a solo artist, she has won the most Grammy Awards of any person, at 32, and has sold over 200 million records worldwide. Often exploring themes of feminism and womanism, her songs include “Crazy in Love,” “Baby Boy,” “Me, Myself and I,” “Check on It,” “Déjà Vu,” “Irreplaceable,” “Beautiful Liar,” “If I Were a Boy,” “Single Ladies,” “Halo,” “Run the World (Girls),” “Drunk in Love,” “Formation,” “Perfect Duet,” “Break My Soul,” “Cuff It,” “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and “II Most Wanted.” Beyoncé has starred in the films Carmen: A Hip Hopera, Austin Powers in Goldmember, The Fighting Temptations, The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records, Obsessed (2009), Epic (2013), and Disney’s The Lion King (2019), the latter two in voice role. She co-directed her music films Life Is But a Dream, Lemonade, and Black Is King, which she also co-wrote; and directed and wrote her music films Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé and Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.
Beyoncé is the daughter of Tina Knowles (born Célestine Ann Beyincé), a fashion designer, and Mathew C. Knowles, a businessperson and talent manager. Her sister is singer and actress Solange Knowles. They are the first sisters to have each had No. 1 albums. She is married to rapper and music producer Jay-Z, with whom she has three children, including Blue Ivy Carter. Beyoncé and Jay-Z are in a band together, The Carters. Beyoncé is a step-sister of actress Bianca Lawson. Her mother is married to Bianca’s father, actor Richard Lawson. Beyoncé founded management company Parkwood Entertainment.
Beyoncé’s father is African-American. Beyoncé’s maternal grandparents were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia; their ancestry was mostly African and French, including French ancestors who lived in Canada. Through her mother’s line, Beyoncé is a great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard, and a descendant of Jean-Vincent d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin (born c. 1652), and of his wife, Marie Mathilde Pidianske/Penobscot (born c. 1658), who was the daughter of Madockawando Abenaki, a chief of the Penobscot (Panawahpskek) people. Through Marie Mathilde, Beyoncé is of 1/1024 Indigenous descent. Beyoncé is also of approximately 1/32 Irish ancestry, and has distant Breton roots on her mother’s side, as well. Her name, Beyoncé, is a tribute to her mother’s maiden name, Beyincé. Through her Broussard line, she is a third cousin of gospel singer and graphic artist Karen Showell.
Beyoncé has said that she has Nigerian ancestry. She may have discovered this through a DNA test.
Beyoncé’s parents Mathew and Tina, 2007, photo by bigstock.com
Beyoncé’s mother has also been described as having Cherokee and/or Choctaw Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented. No Cherokee or Choctaw Native American ancestors appear on publicly available family trees of Beyoncé’s mother. One book biography, Crazy in Love: The Beyoncé Knowles Biography, also refers to Beyoncé’s mother having Spanish, Jewish, Chinese, and Indonesian ancestry. It is also not clear if this is accurate.
Beyoncé does not speak French or Spanish, but she has sung in Spanish before.
A picture of Beyoncé’s maternal grandparents can be seen here.
Beyoncé’s paternal grandfather was Matthew/Mathew Q. Knowles (the son of Taylor Knowles and Girlie/Gurlie/Gerlie Mae Miller). Matthew was born in Alabama. Taylor was the son of James Isaac Knowles and Sarah Elizabeth Dixon. Girlie was the daughter of Prophet Miller and Jane Hall.
Beyoncé’s paternal grandmother is Lou Helen Hogue (the daughter of Davis/Dave Hogue and Hester Moore). Lou was born in Alabama. Davis was the son of Jim Hogue and Rosetta Moore. Hester was the daughter of Pinkney Madison Moore and Arenia Goree.
Beyoncé’s maternal grandfather was Lumis/Lumas Albert Beyincé/Buyincé (the son of Alexandre/Alexon Beyincé/Buyincé and Mary Olevia). Lumis was born in Delcambre, Vermilion, Louisiana.
Beyoncé’s maternal grandmother was Agnès/Agnèz DeRouen/Deréon (the daughter of Eugène-Gustave DeRouen/Deréon/Derezen and Odelia/Odilia Broussard). Agnès was born in Decambre, Louisiana, and was a prominent seamstress. Eugène-Gustave likely was the son of Eloi Jacques DeRouen. Odelia was the daughter of Éloi/Éloy-René Rosemond Broussard, who was white, of French descent, and of Celestine Joséphine Lessee/Lesse/Lesser/Lacy/Lacey/Lessassier, who was black/mixed-race black, and the daughter of a slave mother. Éloi and Joséphine had many children together, and possibly married. A picture of Beyoncé’s great-grandfather Eugène-Gustave can be seen here.
LOS ANGELES – FEB 10: Beyoncé arrives to the Grammy Awards on February 10, 2013 in Hollywood, CA photo by DFree/Bigstock.com
Sources: Genealogies of Beyoncé – http://www.geni.com
https://famouskin.com
Family history of Beyoncé – https://www.hollywoodancestry.com
https://www.dailymail.co.uk
Family history of Beyoncé, by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak – http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Beyoncé’s paternal grandfather, Matthew/Mathew Q. Knowles, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Beyoncé’s paternal grandmother, Lou Helen Hogue, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Beyoncé’s maternal grandmother, Agnès/Agnèz DeRouen/Deréon, on 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Article about Beyoncé’s maternal great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Broussard – http://www.biographi.ca
What’s with the one drop rule still and Black people claiming her as pure Black? She’s Black but her looks are from her Creole (Native American and French) side.
Not true, her looks are from her dads black side and creole is not a race. There are black creoles in Louisianna. Her mom is majority black too. Not to mention Beyonce’s mom has roots in Haiti and her dad is Bahamian, Beyonces ancestry is not even American.
She looks Creole. I never saw a regular Black woman who looks like her. Light skinned Black people are usually mixed and have something else in their DNA.
It is so interesting that people are so racist that they consider every pretty black woman to be “mixed”. Beyonce has two black parents, no parent is of a different race. Past mixture centuries ago can apply to everyone.
lol are you serious . So every white person that tans easily must have some black or Native American heritage. My mother is lighter than Beyoncé and she black . There are plenty of light skin blacks without being mixed.
Beyonce is Black or African American. All of that one quarter this or part that describing one parent is irrelevant to an American born black person. They are black period.
She’s more than 1/4 White lmao.
I doubt that, model Tyra Banks has greene eyes and is lighter than Beyonce and has only 14% white admixture. Look it up. Dont think that blonde straight hair is Beyonces real hair, it is really kinky .
Beyoncé is Black but I see a lot of Native American/Spanish in her. Her skin tone has a bronze color like a Native. She looks just like her mother.
L’Oreal claimed her ethnicity is African American, Native American and French. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nlt_mgNdnk0
L’Oreal also claimed Jennifer Lopez as 100% Puerto Rican, which is not a race, so what is your point!? Beyonce is black, i am lighter than her and i am black, black people are diverse, whether mixed or not.
Beyonce looks Latina. Latinas are mixed with Native Americans. Light skinned Black women don’t look like her. She looks like a Dominican. Beyonce is mixed with Creole and has Native American in her genes.
Not true, I think you are being confused by Beyonces, fake straight hair and her makeup. Google her sister Solange and pics of Beyonce when she was younger, she truly does not look latino and she looks just like a light skinned black girl. By the way latina is NOT a race.
Click link: http://zarriahb.buzznet.com/user/journal/12898391/young-queen-beyonce/
BTW This is a ethnicity site not a race site. Beyonce is part Native American and French, like it or not. That’s why she has light skin. Black people don’t have light skin unless they bleach their skin or they’re mixed or are albino. Black people are called Black because they have dark skin. You should take a DNA test.
Beyonce has very very little native american and french, she plays that up for album sales to stupid people and I dislike her because she is setting a very bad example for young black girls.
I have a problem with Beyonce, you know why? he wears caucasian blonde textured wigs, weaves, that is not her natural hair texture, the majority of the time. Beyonce’s real hair is kinky curly. Actually she wears wigs, weaaves, all of the time. What kind of message does she think that is sending to young black girls??? I do not see why black people do not have a problem with this.
Tyoe, meant to say “she” wears wigs/weaves
Because a lot of women (POC or otherwise) wear wigs and weaves. She’s worn her natural hair on several occasions. Besides, why are people so reliant on celebrities teaching children what’s right or wrong (even though there;s nothing wrong with straightening/dying your hair or getting weaves/wigs)? It’s her hair, she can do as she pleases.