Brandon Routh
Birth Name: Brandon James Routh
Place of Birth: Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Date of Birth: October 9, 1979
Ethnicity: English, some Scottish, German, Irish, and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, more distant Welsh and Dutch
Brandon Routh is an American actor and model. He played Clark Kent/Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns, and has also had leading roles in the films Fling, Life Is Hot in Cracktown, Table for Three, Unthinkable, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, Crooked Arrows, 400 Days, and Lost in the Pacific, and on television’s One Life to Live, Chuck, The Nine Lives of Christmas, Arrow/The Flash/DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and The Nine Kittens of Christmas.
He is the son of Catherine, a teacher, and Ronald Routh, a carpenter. Brandon is of English, some Scottish, German, Irish, and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and more distant Welsh and Dutch, ancestry. He has also stated:
I’m Chickapoo [Kickapoo, a Native American tribe], watered down quite a bit, on my father’s side.
It is not clear if this Native American ancestry has been verified/documented. All of Brandon’s paternal grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents are listed as “White” on United States Censuses.
He was raised in Norwalk, Iowa. Brandon is married to actress Courtney Ford, with whom he has a son.
Brandon’s patrilineal line can be traced to Lawrence Routh, who was born, c. 1660, in Yorkshire, England, and to Lawrence’s wife, Anne Metcalfe, who was born, c. 1665, also in Yorkshire.
Brandon’s paternal grandfather was Amor Ellis Routh (the son of Pearl V. Routh and Ruth Estelle Congar/Conger). Amor was born in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa, and was fire chief of Earlham, Iowa. Pearl was the son of Joshua S. Routh/Ruth and Emma Lula Etta Neely/Neeley, who had Irish grandparents. Brandon’s great-grandmother Ruth was the daughter of Revillo/Reville Spencer Congar, whose parents were from New York, and of Emma Sarah Whitaker, who was born in New York.
Brandon’s paternal grandmother was Velma Mae/May Junkin (the daughter of Joy McQuie Junkin and Ada/Addie Lowdema Morgan). Velma was born in Redfield, Dallas, Iowa. Joy was the son of George Thompson Junkin and Mary McQuie; Mary’s parents, Peter McQuie and Isabella McCullough/McCulloch, were Scottish, with Peter being from Kirkcudbrightshire. Brandon’s great-grandmother Ada was the daughter of Alexander/Alex L. Morgan, whose paternal grandparents were Welsh; and of Viola Jane Clearwater, whose grandmother was Scottish.
Brandon’s maternal grandfather was John Junior Lear (the son of John Lear and Madge Luvena Phipps). Brandon’s grandfather John was born in Osceola, Clarke, Iowa. Brandon’s great-grandfather John was the son of Peter Lear, a German emigrant, from Baden-Württemberg, and of Elizabeth/Lizzie A. Henderson, whose parents, Thomas Henderson and May Henry, were from Ireland. Brandon’s great-grandmother Madge was the daughter of Charles Rush Phipps and Alice May Campbell.
Brandon’s maternal grandmother was Viola Lorraine Brown (the daughter of Leigh Alfred Brown and Edith Bell Brandon). Viola was born in Prescott, Adams, Iowa. Leigh’s father, Daniel Ephraim Brown/Braun, was the son of George Christian Braun/Brown and Anna Catherine Wilhelmina Jenss, who were German. Leigh’s mother, Brandon’s great-great-grandmother, was Viola Adelphia/Adelpha Ballou. Her Ballou line originates with an English emigrant, William Ballou, from Devonshire. Brandon’s great-grandmother Edith was the daughter of William Martin Brandon and Elizabeth Caroline Van Winkle; Brandon’s great-great-grandmother Elizabeth was the daughter of Oliver Perry Van Winkle and Irene Cox.
One of Brandon’s direct matrilineal ancestors is a woman named Hannah Brewster, who was born, c. 1688, in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, to Wrestling Brewster and Mary Holland. Hannah’s paternal great-grandfather was William Brewster (c. 1566-1644), a Mayflower passenger and noted Pilgrim. Among many of William’s other descendants are actors Jordana Brewster, Paget Brewster, Austin Butler, Chevy Chase, Taylor Lautner, Seth MacFarlane, and Elisabeth Shue, actor and model Noah Mills, singer Buffy Sainte-Marie, soccer player Clint Dempsey, Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, and Governor of Arkansas Winthrop Rockefeller.
Sources: Genealogies of Brandon Routh – https://famouskin.com
https://www.geni.com
Brandon’s paternal grandfather, Amor Ellis Routh, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Brandon’s paternal great-grandparents, Pearl V. Routh and Ruth Estelle Congar/Conger – http://www.schueths.com
Brandon’s paternal great-grandfather, Pearl V. Routh, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Pearl V. Routh on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Brandon’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Revillo/Reville Spencer Congar and Emma Sarah Whitaker, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Brandon’s father (focusing on his own mother’s side) – http://www.frontierfamilies.net
Obituary of Brandon’s paternal grandmother, Velma Mae/May (Junkin) Routh – http://iagenweb.org
Brandon’s paternal great-grandfather, Joy McQuie Junkin, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Joy McQuie Junkin on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Brandon’s paternal great-grandmother, Ada/Addie Lowdema Morgan, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Ada/Addie Lowdema Morgan on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of Brandon’s paternal great-great-great-great-grandparents, Lawson A. Mingus and Sarah/Salley Brice – https://www.familysearch.org
Brandon’s maternal grandfather, John Junior Lear, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Brandon’s maternal grandmother, Viola Lorraine Brown, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Brandon’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth Caroline Van Winkle (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.findagrave.com
he looks italian or iberian, hands down
What famous Italians and Iberians does he remind you of?
He looks like Anne Hathaway and Jonathan Bennett.
i don’t think he looks like either of those two actors, nor does he look like any of the ethnicities listed above
You keep writing “ethnicities listed above”, “ethnicities listed here”, etc. to imply whoever you’re talking about is really some other unknown ethnic group, despite their lineage being extremely well documented (i.e. Routh and Jennifer Lawrence). Genius.
I’m stating my opinion of what i think they look via educated guess, i doubt it’s possible to know every single bit of a person’s ancestry and there is such thing as recessive genes. I’m not however saying their ethnicities are listed wrong, I’m just saying whether or not I think the celebrity looks it
I don’t get the recessive genes part. Typically, whoever you’re talking about looks like their parents. Also, recessive genes are usually blue eyes and other light features (and have to be carried by both parents to appear).
Agreed, but dissent with “nor does he look like any of the ethnicities listed above” as he could pass for British Isles Med.
He doesn’t have to “pass” for it, he is it.
There is no mention of his mother’s family tree. Her maiden name is Lear, which is German. Brandon Routh looks like he has French-Canadian ancestry, as well.
“looks like he has French-Canadian ancestry”
He looks French to me in general.
He has no French ancestry. Both sides of his family up now.
Interestingly, both his patrilineal and matrilineal lines go back to England.
It said he had French ancestry a couple days ago…
I know. That’s what it used to say, along with the Native American and the rest.
Who ever said Europeans cant look “exotic”, whatever you you think that means.
He is exotic-looking like Brenton Thwaites.
His ancestry is originally English Scottish French German and Native American he has no Welsh ancestry most Americans have English Irish Scottish and German ancestry not many Americans have Welsh ancestry not even a drop i can’t believe some Americans not have a drop of Irish ancestry.
Morgan is common Welsh surname, so his paternal grandmother definitely had Welsh ancestry on her mother’s side.