Blake Lively
Lively in 2011, Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Blake Ellender Brown
Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: August 25, 1987
Ethnicity: English, as well as Scottish, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and Welsh, remote French-Canadian
Blake Lively is an American actress, model, and homemaking expert. She is known for starring on Gossip Girl, as Serena van der Woodsen, and for her roles in the films The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and its sequel; Accepted, Simon Says, Elvis & Annabelle, New York, I Love You; The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, The Town, Green Lantern, Hick, Savages, The Age of Adaline, The Shallows, Café Society, All I See Is You, A Simple Favor, The Rhythm Section, and It Ends With Us.
Blake is the daughter of actor Ernest Lively (born Ernest Wilson Brown, Jr.) and acting teacher and talent scout Elaine Lively (born Willie Elain McAlpin). Lively is the surname of her mother’s previous husband, Ronnie Lively. She is the sister of actor Eric Lively and the half-sister of actors Lori Lively, Jason Lively (Ronald Jason Lively), and Robyn Lively, from her mother. Blake is married to Canadian actor and entertainer Ryan Reynolds, with whom she has four children.
Blake has English, as well as Scottish, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Welsh, and remote French-Canadian, ancestry.
Several L’Oréal commercials featuring Blake describe her ancestry as being partially Cherokee (Native American). It is not clear if this Cherokee Native American ancestry has been verified/documented. No Cherokee Native Americans appear among Blake’s recent and relatively recent ancestors.
Blake’s paternal grandfather was Ernest Wilson Brown, Sr. (the son of Harry Thomas/F. Brown and Sister Tiny/Tina Clark). Ernest was born in Carington, Virginia. Harry was the son of William H. Brown and Zora A. Sister was the daughter of James Granville Clark and Lucy Nicely.
Blake’s paternal grandmother was Beatrice Gray/Grey Walton (the daughter of Eric Ivan Walton and Myrtle Ellen Rigsby). Beatrice was born in West Virginia. Eric was the son of John Henry Walton and Phoebe/Pheobe Luemma “Emma” Gumm/Gum. Myrtle was the daughter of James Rigsby and Mattie Ethel/Ellen Sparks.
Blake’s maternal grandfather was James Olin McAlpin (the son of Robert Alexander McAlpin and Laura/Lara Smith). James was born in Georgia. Robert was the son of Thomas Jefferson McAlpin and Elizabeth Jane/Louisa Brown. Laura was the daughter of William Harvey Smith and Sarah Evelyn Sewell. Robert McAlpin’s great-grandfather, Blake’s great-great-great-great-grandfather Alexander McAlpin, was born in Strathblane, Stirlingshire, Scotland.
Blake’s maternal grandmother was Willie Inez Thrash (the daughter of Isaac Farmer Thrash and Mattie Lee Smith). Willie was born in Alabama. Isaac was the son of John Allen Thrash and Celia Blake. Mattie was the daughter of Javan Jefferson Smith and Eliza Jane Owens.
Sources: Genealogies of Blake Lively – http://gw.geneanet.org
http://www.wikitree.com
https://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Blake’s father – https://www.findagrave.com
Blake’s paternal grandfather, Ernest Wilson Brown, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Blake’s paternal grandmother, Beatrice Gray/Grey Walton, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Blake Lively (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.familycentral.net
Blake’s maternal grandmother, Willie Inez Thrash, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Maybe this “W. McAlphin” is her mother because she did marry a Ronnie Lively (listed in the second link as R.Lively) and had 3 children (Blake’s half siblings). One of these siblings (Robyn Lively) did marry actor Bart Johnson.
Do you have a subsciption to Ancestry.com? Is that how you find all these trees so easily? Her father’s name is Ernest W. Brown from Baltimore, Maryland, if that helps.
My comments keep getting stuck in moderation. Her birth name is Blake Ellender Brown not Blake Christina Lively, born to Ernest W. Brown and Elaine Lively (nee McAlphin).
The name Lively comes from Blake’s mother’s first husband. I posted links but they are stuck in moderation.
Are you sure this is the right family. For instance the first link only says “Living” McAlphin and male. Where is the proof he is connected to Elaine McAlphin (Blake’s mother). The second link says that W. McAlphin (whose parents are the same as this “Living” McAlphin) married an R.Lively. Again no mention of Elaine McAlphin.
According to wikipedia her mother’s maiden name is McAlphin. It also says she was raised as a Southern Baptist. The links listed on wiki are expired though.
If this is true Brown+McAlphin+Southern Baptist makes me think that her parents have a Southern background though Blake was born in raised in California since both her parents are actors. Although neither surname is German I think Blake looks British Isles/German mixture. English/Scottish/German is a common background for Southerners.
Though it depends where they are from in the South. Apparently her father is from Baltimore, Maryland. Again, according to wikipedia, which isn’t always reliable.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Lively
Surely she’d be 1/8 Scottish going by that link. Not to mention the fact that names like Smith and Ingram are dual English/Scottish names.
Also the W may come from her Dads real name which is Ernest W. Brown.
Her half sister looks quite Scottish to me:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm46633472/nm0001477
Pale skin red hair.
There’s a picture here of her with both her half sisters and there both Red Heads:
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/JQXclTXinVE/Spike+TV+Scream+2010+Arrivals/zkHG23azT9z/Lori+Lively
I wouldn’t be surprised if she was German. Probably mixed with English because her father was born with the last name Brown. Maybe some Swedish too but she definitely looks German/English mix to me.