Donald Trump

Trump in 2010, Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Donald John Trump

Place of Birth: Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: June 14, 1946

Ethnicity:
*German (father)
*Scottish (mother)

Donald Trump is an American politician, businessperson, investor, television personality, writer, and conspiracy theorist. He was the 45th President of the United States, from January 20, 2017 to January 20, 2021. He was elected to the position in 2016, running on the Republican Party’s ticket. He was the chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization, and hosted the reality show The Apprentice from 2004 to 2015, among other pursuits. He was the first president with no military or government service before taking office, and the only president to have been impeached twice. President Trump was Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2016.

He is a candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 2024, and has won enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee.

He was previously the Republican Party’s nominee for re-election as President of the United States in 2020. He was also a candidate for the Reform Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 2000.

President Trump’s father, Fred Trump (Frederick Christ Trump), a real estate developer, was born in Woodhaven, Queens, New York, to German immigrants. President Trump’s mother, Mary Anne (MacLeod), was Scottish, born in Tong, Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, and spoke Scottish Gaelic in her home. She came to the U.S. around 1929, at the age of seventeen, and worked as a maid in New York. Mary Anne became a U.S. citizen in 1942. President Trump was appointed president of his father’s business in 1971, and renamed it from E. Trump & Son to The Trump Organization; he expanded its operations to skyscrapers, hotels, golf courses, and casinos. He has often licensed his name to side ventures.

President Trump’s sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, was a prominent judge, who was a Senior Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, from June 30, 2011 to February 11, 2019. President Trump’s uncle, his father’s brother, was John G. Trump (John George Trump), an electrical engineer, inventor, and physicist.

All four of President Trump’s grandparents were born outside of the United States. His religion is Presbyterian.

President Trump is married to Slovenian-born model Melania Trump; he was previously married to Czech-born fashion designer, model, and author Ivana Trump and Georgia, U.S.-born actress, model, and television personality Marla Maples. He has five children, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump, all three with Ivana, Tiffany Trump, with Marla, and Barron Trump, with Melania. Most of them work in business. Donald, Jr. was married to model Vanessa Trump, Ivanka is married to businessperson and investor Jared Kushner, and Eric is married to producer Lara Trump.

While it is sometimes stated that President Trump’s grandfather was born under the surname Drumpf, this is not accurate. The family surname was simply Trump going back at least several generations.

President Trump’s patrilineal line traces to Johann Paul Trump, who was born, c. 1727, and was from Bobenheim am Berg.

President Trump’s paternal grandfather was Frederick/Friedrich/Friederich Trump (the son of Johannes Trump and Katharina/Katerina/Katherina Kober). Friedrich was German, born in Kallstadt, Rhineland-Palatinate. Johannes was the son of Johannes Trump and Susanna Maria Bechtlof/Bechtloff. Katharina was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, the daughter of Johann Jakob Kober and Elisabeth Peter.

President Trump’s paternal grandmother was Elizabeth/Elisabeth/Elisabetha Christ (the daughter of Philipp Christ and Anna Maria/Marie Anthon). Elizabeth was German, born in Kallstadt, Rhineland-Palatinate. Philipp was the son of Johannes/Johann Georg Christ and Sabina Christina/Christiana Hartung. Anna was the daughter of Johannes Anthon and Eva Farny.

President Trump’s maternal grandfather was Malcolm/Calum MacLeod (the son of Alexander MacLeod and Ann/Anne/Annie MacLeod). Malcolm was Scottish, born in Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis. Alexander was the son of William MacLeod and Catherine/Christian MacLeod. Ann was the daughter of Alexander MacLeod and Ann MacKenzie.

President Trump’s maternal grandmother was Mary Smith (the daughter of Donald Smith and Mary Macaulay/Macauley). President Trump’s grandmother Mary was Scottish, born in Tong, Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis. Donald Smith was the son of Duncan Smith and Henrietta/Essie MacSwane/McSwane/MacQueen. President Trump’s great-grandmother Mary was the daughter of John Macaulay and Ann MacAulay.

NEW YORK-FEB 16: (L-R) Donald Trump, son Barron  Trump and wife

Trump with son Barron and wife Melania in 2015, photo by Debby Wong/Bigstock.com

In his 1987 book, The Art of the Deal, and evidently in some other sources from as late as the 1980s, President Trump stated that his paternal grandfather was Swedish. This is incorrect. It appears that President Trump has not mentioned having Swedish ancestry in more recent years and/or decades. In 1999, he was a grand marshal of the German-American Steuben Parade in New York City.

Sources: Genealogies of President Trump – http://www.geni.com
http://genealogy.about.com
http://famouskin.com
https://www.wikitree.com

Genealogy of President Trump (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.wargs.com

Genealogy of President Trump’s father – http://www.findagrave.com

Information about some of President Trump’s Scottish ancestors – http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

59 Responses

  1. ethnogenesis says:

    Trump’s autobio had that lie about being Swedish (descent), because he feared that if he said he’s German (descent), he would lose Jewish clients because they would be reminded of the Holocaust, and it’s wrong to assume having “German” doesn’t make one a Nazi.

    • jackson9 says:

      In his auto biography he wrote that he “would lose Jewish clients because they would be reminded of the Holocaust?” I doubt he wrote that. He probably was misinformed or this was an assumption from people who did the research into his family tree.

  2. JoeyLaycock says:

    A discovery was made that Donald Trump is related to Hillary Clinton and moreover, possess distant English aristocratic ancestry, said ancestors being around 550 years older than him. Article:
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3220982/Royal-connection-Donald-Trump-distant-cousin-notorious-Richard-III-revealed-s-related-Hillary-Clinton.html

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