Finn Wolfhard

Finn Wolfhard – 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, 2017 – Arrivals – The Shrine Expo Hall, 665 W Jefferson Boulevard – Los Angeles, CA, USA – Photo Credit: PRPhotos.com

Place of Birth: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Date of Birth: December 23, 2002

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish (one quarter), German, Scandinavian, Welsh, Irish

Finn Wolfhard is a Canadian actor, musician, and filmmaker. He is known for starring on Stranger Things, and in the films It (2017), Dog Days, It Chapter Two, The Goldfinch, The Turning, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, When You Finish Saving the World, Hell of a Summer, which he co-directed and co-wrote; Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and, in voice roles, Howard Lovecraft and the Kingdom of Madness, The Addams Family (2019), Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022), and the series Carmen Sandiego. He is a member of band The Aubreys, and was previously lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Calpurnia. He has appeared in music videos including “Danny Don’t You Know” and Weezer’s “Take On Me.”

Finn is the son of Mary and Eric Wolfhard. His brother is actor Nick Wolfhard. His uncle is actor Hadley Kay.

He has said:

[Finn’s] my given, full name. Finn’s not short for anything; it’s just Finn Wolfhard. And then Wolfhard means, I think, heart of the wolf in German. What’s funny is I’m German, but then I’m like French – I’m French and German and then Jewish. It’s really weird. I have really weird blood. And then I go to Catholic school, which is really weird.

He has specified:

My mother was adopted by a family of French, Irish, British and Canadian descent. My mother’s birth mother was from Wales and Ireland, but she didn’t know anything about her birth. Eventually, through genetic testing, my mom found out she was half-Jewish. On the other hand, my father thought he was Jewish, but found out he was actually from Germany and Scandinavia. My dad converted to Catholicism in his 40s, so the past year, he’s been attending Catholic school. It’s pretty complicated, but this is my background.

Finn’s maternal great-great-aunt was silent film and theatre actress Rita Jolivet.

Finn likely is descended from John Wolfgang Wolfhard, who was born, in 1903, in Bichofingen, Germany. John was the son of Karl Adolf Wolfhard and Mathilde Guth. Mathilde was a pastor’s daughter.

Finn’s paternal grandfather is named Michael Richard Wolfhard.

Finn’s paternal grandmother is named Nora.

Finn’s adoptive maternal grandfather was Lawrence Charles LaTouche Jolivet (the son of Alfred Eugene Jolivet and Beatrice Wilhelmina Theodora LaTouche, later known as Trixie Witherbee). Finn’s grandfather Lawrence was born in Dieppe, France, and was raised at least partially in Stowe, England. Lawrence was president of the British Columbia Liberal Association. Finn’s great-grandfather Alfred was born in Richmond, Surrey, England, the son of parents from Paris, France, Charles Eugene Jolivet, who owned vineyards in France, and Pauline Hélène Vaillant/Vaillent/Valunt, a concert musician, whose own mother was of Welsh descent. Alfred’s sister was actress Rita Jolivet. Finn’s great-grandmother Beatrice was born in London, England, the daughter of James LaTouche/La Touche and Mary May Cummings/Cummins/Crimmins.

Finn’s adoptive maternal grandmother was Patricia Mary “Trish” Lynch (the daughter of Arthur Louis Lynch and Janet Hunter Elizabeth Doughty). Patricia was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Arthur was born in Carleton, Ontario, Canada, of Irish descent, and was the son of William Joseph/John Lynch and Ann Josephine “Annie” Mullin. Janet was born in Wanstead, Essex, England, and was the daughter of George Bell/Sell Doughty and Janet Hunter Kerr, who was of Scottish descent.

Sources: History of the Wolfhard family – http://www.wolfhard.info

Article about Finn’s great-great-aunt, silent film actress Rita Jolivet – http://nightcrawlervideos.blogspot.com

Genealogy of Finn Wolfhard (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Marriage announcement of Finn’s maternal grandparents, Lawrence Charles LaTouche Jolivet and Patricia Mary Lynch – https://www.newspapers.com

Obituary of Finn’s maternal grandfather, Lawrence Charles LaTouche Jolivet – https://www.legacy.com

Marriage record of Finn’s maternal great-grandparents, Alfred Eugene Jolivet and Beatrice Wilhelmina Theodora (LaTouche) Witherbee – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage records of Finn’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Charles Eugene Jolivet and Pauline Hélène Vaillant/Vaillent/Valunt – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Finn’s maternal great-grandmother, Beatrice Wilhelmina Theodora LaTouche (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Death record of Finn’s maternal great-grandmother, Beatrice Wilhelmina Theodora (LaTouche) Witherbee Jolivet – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Finn’s maternal grandmother, Patricia Mary “Trish” (Lynch) Jolivet – https://www.familysearch.org