Elle Fanning

2014 Marie Claire Fresh Faces Party - Arrivals

Fanning in 2014, photo by Prphotos.com

Birth Name: Mary Elle Fanning

Place of Birth: Conyers, Georgia, U.S.

Date of Birth: April 9, 1998

Ethnicity: German, English, as well as Irish, French, Channel Islander [Jersey, Guernsey], remote Scottish and Welsh

Elle Fanning is an American actress. She is known for starring as Alice in Super 8, as well as in Phoebe in Wonderland, Somewhere, We Bought a Zoo, and, as Aurora, in Maleficent, among other films. She is the younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning (Hannah Dakota Fanning).

Elle is the daughter of Heather Joy (Arrington) and Steven J. Fanning. Her father played minor league baseball and her mother played tennis professionally. Elle’s father is of approximately one half German and one quarter Irish descent, with his other ancestry being English, French, and Channel Islander [Jersey and Guernsey]. Elle’s mother’s family has lived in the United States for many generations, and Elle’s mother is of mainly English, and remote Scottish and Welsh, ancestry.

Her aunt (mother’s sister) is ESPN reporter Jill Arrington. On her mother’s side, she is descended from Joseph Martin, a brigadier general in the Virginia militia during the American Revolutionary War.

Elle’s paternal grandfather was William Edward “Bill” Fanning (the son of George Joseph Fanning and Dorcas Florence Godden). William was born in New York, New York. George was born in New York, to Irish parents, Edward William Fanning and Catherine/Catharine Connelly, who was from Donegal. Dorcas was born in the Bronx, New York, the daughter of George Henry Godden, who was born in St. Helier, on the island of Jersey, U.K. Channel Islands, and of Dorcas Caroline Thoumine, who was born in Saint Peter Port, on the island of Guernsey, Channel Islands. Elle’s great-grandmother Dorcas also had English and French ancestry.

Elle’s paternal grandmother was Katharina Kramb (the daughter of Jakob/Jacob Kramb/Kraab and Marie Bauer). Katharine was German, born in Ludwigshaven, Germany, c. 1937. She moved to the United States in the 1950s or in the 1960s.

Elle’s maternal grandfather was Richard Cameron “Rick” Arrington (the son of Richard Adler Arrington, Jr. and Hazel Cameron). Elle’s grandfather Richard was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and was an NFL quarterback, for the Philadelphia Eagles. Elle’s great-grandfather Richard was the son of Richard Adler Arrington and Nell/Nellie L. Covington. Hazel was the daughter of McBryde/McBride Cameron and Pearlie Thomas.

Elle’s maternal grandmother is Mary Jane Odum (the daughter of William Henry Odum, Jr. and Ellouise Virginia Luke). William was sheriff of Newton County, Georgia. He was the son of William Henry Odum and Mamie Olive Ozburn. Ellouise was the daughter of Silas Auley Luke and Myrtle Jone/Jane Swindle.

Sources: Genealogies of Elle Fanning – https://www.geni.com
https://famouskin.com

Genealogies of Elle Fanning (through Elle’s sister, Dakota Fanning) – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
http://gw.geneanet.org
https://www.wikitree.com

Obituary of Elle’s maternal great-grandmother, Hazel (Cameron) Arrington – http://www.findagrave.com

Ancestry.com article about Elle Fanning and Dakota Fanning’s distant ancestry – http://blogs.ancestry.com

10 Responses

  1. Harriet says:

    I’ve noticed a mistake with regards to Elle’s ancestry from Guernsey.
    As having Guernsey ancestry also, I know that Guernsey isn’t part of the UK (like it is said above). It should be listed here as Elle having ‘Channel Islander’ ancestry included amongst the rest of her background.
    It would be great if it was changed.

    Thank you for reading!

    Harriet.

    • jonasbttencourt says:

      Channel Islander is not REALLY an ethnicity btw…Since there is no indigenous peoples there, most of the residents there are either brittish or irish, and more rarely french and german…

      • andrew says:

        They are actually a British/French mix.

        • jonasbttencourt says:

          …So they are just regular brittish people then, if you look up on the fairly recent history, english people and french(especially northern french) people are basically cousins, just like the the fins and the sweds. So there is no reason to put this ”Channel Islander” category, just go with : English/Brittish Isles, French, possibly German. There a lot of southeastern english people with pretty french sounding surnames, in Norwitch for example.

          • Mixed Kidd says:

            Those ones with French sounding surnames have like 2-5% French ancestry from when England invaded Normandy.

          • andrew says:

            Dear jonas, it’s not that I like to argue with you, but to say that english people and french(especially northern french) are “basically cousins” is one of the weirdest things I read here.

        • Mixed Kidd says:

          French ancestry from years and years ago. Cuz there’s a difference in French and UK food, culture, and languages, just because they’re next to each other they aren’t the same. Only parts of North France like Normandy is the only part of France with some similarities to UK.

          • andrew says:

            Yes there are massive differences lol. That guy has comedy skills.

          • jonasbttencourt says:

            One of the most commun names in southern England is Frances, witch literally means ”from France”. ( btw Andrew gotta have something going on for me, its crazy hahahah)

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