Britney Spears
Spears in 2011, Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Britney Jean Spears
Place of Birth: McComb, Mississippi, U.S.
Date of Birth: December 2, 1981
Ethnicity: English, as well as 1/16th Maltese, small amounts of Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Irish, French, and Welsh
Britney Spears is an American pop singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress.
Britney is the daughter of Lynne Irene (Bridges) and James Parnell “Jamie” Spears. She is the sister of film and television producer Bryan Spears and actress and singer Jamie Lynn Spears. She has two children with her former husband, dancer, rapper, model, and actor Kevin Federline.
Britney’s maternal grandmother was an English war bride, and one of Britney’s maternal great-great-grandfathers was Maltese. Most of the rest of Britney’s recent ancestors were American-born, with most of her roots being English, along with Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Irish, French, and Welsh, all of them distant or remote to various degrees. Some of Britney’s distant English ancestors lived in Barbados and Liberia.
Britney’s paternal grandfather was June Austin Spears (the son of June Becker/Bacot Spears and Nova Gill). Britney’s grandfather June was born in Amite, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. Britney’s great-grandfather June was the son of Pascal Greene Spears and Mary Pauline Bridges. Nova was the daughter of James Monroe Gill and Effie Strahan.
Britney’s paternal grandmother was Emma Jean Forbes (the daughter of William Nelson Forbes and Lexie/Lexis May Thompson). Emma was born in Mississippi. William was the son of William Nelson Forbes and Kiturah/Katuriah Leona Ball. Lexie was the daughter of Ernest Fulton Thompson and Bertha Magee.
Britney’s maternal grandfather was Barnett Oldfield/O’Field “Barney” Bridges (the son of Joel Menton Bridges and Addie/Adeline/Addy Williams). Barnett was born in Louisiana. Joel was the son of James Jack Bridges and Mary Josephine Phillips. Addie was the daughter of Marshall E. Williams and Missouri E. Wall.
Britney’s maternal grandmother was Lilian/Lillian Irene Portell (the daughter of George Anthony Portelli/Portell and Lilian Esther Lewis). Britney’s grandmother Lilian was born in Barkham Road, Tottenham. George was the son of Edward Richard Portelli, who was from Malta, and of Alice Taylor. Britney’s great-grandmother Lilian was the daughter of James Lewis and Esther Moss. Britney’s Maltese great-great-grandfather Edward was the son of Antonio Portelli; it is possible that Edward was of Italian ancestry, like many people on Malta.
Britney’s parents are third cousins. Two of Britney’s paternal great-great-great-grandparents, William Lee Bridges and Pauline Ann Travis, were also two of Britney’s maternal great-great-great-grandparents.
Sources: Genealogies of Britney Spears – http://www.wargs.com
https://www.geni.com
http://familypedia.wikia.com
http://famouskin.com
http://freepages.rootsweb.com
Genealogies of Britney’s paternal grandparents, June Austin Spears and Emma Jean Forbes – http://www.findagrave.com
Article about the family of Britney’s maternal grandmother, Lilian/Lillian Irene Portell – http://www.dailymail.co.uk
I was watching Lucky yesterday and was taken aback at how ethnic she looked in it. Like a Lebanese girl with dyed hair. I knew she had Maltese ancestry, but am surprised it’s only 1/16 of her ancestry.
She does not look ethnic in the Lucky video.
She definitely has some southern Italian features. If you watch the video for Baby One More Time, she looks more Italian than English. Her grandmother’s surname was Portelli which is common in Sicily and Malta.
I’ve never thought Britney looked completely English.
I don’t think she looks fully Italian either. Her mom is quite dark but Britney herself just looks like an average american white girl from the south. I actually think with her hair dyed black she looks SLIGHTLY eastern european.
As a person from Italy I don’t see her as somone who resembles my countrywomen not even a Southern because of her face lol.
As a kid she looked 100% Hispanic and her siblings still look Latinos.
We all live in a Hispanic submarine
Hispanic submarine, Hispanic submarine
We all live in Hispanic submarine
Hispanic submarine, Hispanic submarine
AFAIK, Britney at first thought she had Spanish in her, then Choctaw or Lumbee… or now, I guess Jewish ancestors (she was involved in Kabbala). Ethnicelebs isn’t complete, but I worry it’s ending up less reliable in the level of 2010s Wikipedia or what has happened to genealogical websites full of false edits, errors or “stolen” info about one’s ancestors.
How the heck would ethnicelebs be unreliable, when they provide sources?
britney spears goes against the french she can’t have that french blood on her ancestry
Can you clarify “goes against the french”?
what the hell are you talking about, “goes against the French?”
1. You think every white celebrity looks “ethnic”. What’s next? Reese Witherspoon looks ethnic to you too?
2. What does a “Hispanic” even look like?
3. I think you’re a troll with a dupe account.
you are the troll. People like you go around attacking Neil Tennant for saying Britney Spears is exotic. She is in Neil’s eyes. get a life and troll somewhere else!
Of course, for an Afghan fella, she is exotic.
Please start consolidating/combining your thoughts. There is no reason for you to spam three or four consecutive comments on one page just because you can’t get your thoughts together.
Try harder.
You aren’t wrong about Hispanics/Latinos. but I don’t even understand why one post was necessary? No one was disputing any of the facts you were providing. I know Latinos (from central to south America) can range from any mix of European, Native American, Sub-Saharan African, and even Asian ancestry.
I didn’t say you were spamming no need to get defensive buddy. I am from the United States and although I doubt I am mixed with Sub-Saharan African or East Asian ancestry I wouldn’t mind it at all.
I believe Britney’s 2nd great-grandfather Edward Richard Portelli was the son of Antonio Portelli (1847-1926). Born in Malta, died in Hampshire England. I don’t have an ancestry subscription to confirm this but some people list Antonio’s parents as Domenico Portelli and Maria Chircop. Domenico (1818) would be the son of Vincenzo Portelli (1790) Malta and Maddalena Misfud (1795) Malta. BTW “Misfud” is a very common Sephardic Jewish surname from Malta. If anyone could look into that I would be very happy. thanks
Mifsud is of Semitic origin and all the Mifsuds are Catholics. It’s not a Sephardi Jewish surname.