Beyoncé
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, Breton, and Belgian Walloon, 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 Beyoncé), 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 singer and dancer Blue Ivy Carter. Beyoncé and Jay-Z are in a musical superduo 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, who led French-speaking Catholics from Nova Scotia, Canada to Louisiana in 1765. He was among the first 200 Acadians to arrive in Louisiana that year. She is also a descendant of French military officer Jean-Vincent d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin (born c. 1652 in Escout, France), 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 and Belgian Flemish roots on her mother’s side, the latter including her ancestor Albert de Cuir, from Hainaut Province, Wallonia. Her name, Beyoncé, is a tribute to her mother’s family 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 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 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.
Sources: Genealogies of Beyoncé – http://www.geni.com
https://famouskin.com
Family histories of Beyoncé – https://www.hollywoodancestry.com
https://www.dailymail.co.uk
https://jack.canalplus.com
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
Beyonce talking about her Creole heritage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiDuAbD0nxQ
Well I do agree it’s a shame that we young Creoles don’t know the language. Grandmothers didn’t teach our mothers, and therefore we didn’t learn. I can only speak a few words myself, I would like to know more.
Beyonce talking about being Creole
Acadian should be listed in her Ethnicity.
Beyonce’s grandparents
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2442560/Beyonce-pays-tribute-late-grandparents-Lumis-Agnez-old-photographs.html
@Andrew, both grandparents on Beyonces mom and dads side, all four are black people, African Americans. There are no recent white ancestors. Also creoles in Louisianna are the same as African Americans. Beyonce just came out golden brown skinned in tone.
There was a cultural difference between Africans Americans and Creoles(from Louisiana), Also certain European bloodlines. However both groups got mixed up pretty good, although Creoles many times were more likely to voluntarily mixed( they had the whiter is better fever)
Her grandfather looks more white than black. And Tina could pass for an olive skinned European. I don’t understand why AAs don’t want to accept the fact that she has a mixed heritage. She is probably more black than white like 70% black but she is still mixed.
@Samiiraa
Well I think they do accept her mixed heritage. However they’re also from mixed bloodlines , and therefore probably don’t see her as being all that special. The AA European blood percentages are all over the place
It’s what I thought, traits past down through the generations. No different than what you would see in thousands of other families over there
@Fuzzybear, agreed. You know what is funny. My grandfather on my dads side, was two shades lighter than Beyonces grandfather with near straight black hair and green eyes and he was still considered black. My grandmother on my moms side was lighter than Beyonces grandmom with waist length “indian hair” and copper golden skin. She still considered herself black too. Not to mention where are the pics of Beyonces darker black grandparents from her dads side? Its all done for show to sppeal to simple naive people who think all black people are the color of tar. And dont realize we come in light and dark skins.
@midori29
That’s not unusual, My mother jokes with my Aunt all the time. My aunt is basically a blond hair green eyed white woman, but she would curse you lower than 6 dogs if you called her white. At a recent funeral my other older Aunts on my father side looked like a bunch of old white women, but don’t called them that. So that pride in being black is strong. Also you’re right, where is the black side of her family?
Here is a picture of Tina posing with her family: http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/theybf/October%202011/f444854a.jpg
If I’m not mistaken, African-Americans are around 20% European on average. So let’s say that her father is about 80 to 85% black.
I reckon her mother’s about 35% black. This would make Beyoncé over 55% Black.
Actually it’s 3-20%, and her is mom is mostly likely in the upper 60 – 70 range. Mostly likely the skin color is a family trait, that was pass down. It’s not uncommon for a Creole to have light skin, and not have a white relative for 3 or 4 generations
Tom joyner here is 66% black
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qyhoXZWIla0/Vfvl1KlcLGI/AAAAAAABKBY/0OMI0z5HacU/s1600/tom_joyner.png
and as you can see, every bit as bright as tina:
http://www.biancaalysse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/TINA-KNOWLES1.jpg
You thinking bey is 55%, makes me scared to know mine(both my parents are Creoles)
@Dogg , youre overthinking this. Beyonce is like 75 percent subsharan black at the least. Beyonces dad is NOT an African America, he is from the Bahamas. He moved to America. Bahamian people are usually very very black. Beyonces mom is Haitian descent. She straightens her hair.
https://agentsmithfiles.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/tinaknowles.jpg