Gillian Anderson
Anderson in 2008, image via Joe Seer/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Gillian Leigh Anderson
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Date of Birth: August 9, 1968
Ethnicity: English, German, Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish
Gillian Anderson is an American actress, activist, and writer. She is known for her role as Scully on The X-Files, as well as for starring in many British productions, including Bleak House, The Crown, and The Spy Who Dumped Me.
Gillian was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Rosemary Alyce “Posie” (Lane) and Homer Edward “Ed” Anderson III. She spent her early years growing up in England, before moving back to the U.S., Grand Rapids, Michigan, in her early teens; she also lived in Puerto Rico. During her adult life, she has lived and worked extensively in the U.K., living in London since the early 2000s.
Gillian has a daughter with her former husband, art director and production designer Clyde Klotz; and two children with her former partner, businessperson Mark Griffiths.
Gillian’s paternal grandfather was Homer Edward Anderson, Jr. (the son of Homer Edward Anderson and Frances Margaret Ryan). Gillian’s grandfather Homer was born in Indiana. Gillian’s great-grandfather Homer was the son of John William Anderson, Jr. and Adeline/Addie May Jones. Frances was the daughter of John B. Ryan, whose parents were Irish; and of Elizabeth James Sutherlin, whose own maternal grandparents were from Ulster, Ireland.
Gillian’s paternal grandmother was Marilyn Ramsey Richardson (the daughter of Henry Hall Richardson and Frances Bradshaw Newman). Marilyn was born in Utah. Henry was the son of Henry Watkins Richardson and Charlotte/Lottie George Hall. Frances was the daughter of Albert Newman and Frances/Fannie A. Bradshaw.
Gillian’s maternal grandfather was Leslie Clute Lane, Jr. (the son of Lessley/Leslie Clute Lane, Sr. and Alice/Alyce Virginia Nealon). Gillian’s grandfather Leslie was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Gillian’s great-grandfather Lessley was the son of William Isaac Lane and Mary Emma Clute. Alice was the daughter of James Paul Thomas Nealon and Catherine Schofield, who were Irish.
Gillian’s maternal grandmother was Louise Theresa Bachhuber (the daughter of Philip/Phillip George Bachhuber, Sr. and Rosa/Rose Johanna Bauer). Louise was born in Wisconsin, and was of German descent. Philip was the son of Andreas “Andrew” Bachhuber and Louisa “Lizzy” Sterr. Rosa was the daughter of Joseph Bauer and Elizabeth Mary Hinkes.
Sources: Genealogy of Gillian Anderson – http://gw.geneanet.org
Genealogy of Gillian Anderson (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com
Genealogy of Gillian’s mother (focusing on her own father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
She aged pretty well but I think I prefer her with red hair even if its not her real hair color.
I knew an English man with Anderson as a surname. Some people also have it spelled with an E instead of an O.
“sen” is usually Norwegian/Danish while “sson” is usually Swedish. At times you see “ssen” and that’s usually also Scandinavian, perhaps Faroese but can also be any other Germanic language like Dutch or German itself too. “son” is usually English or perhaps any Scandinavian last name that’s Americanized/Anglicized to fit in respectively. As of the case of Gillian, her’s of English origin, at least that’s what’s stated here anyway.
Anderson, in her case and in others too, is Scottish/English. It is an ancestral name of mine and mine came from the Strathclyde in Scotland. It is often a variant of Henderson.
“Anderson” is a Scottish surname.
In fact her patrilineal line trace back to Scotland, according to this family tree: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/KWZD-14G
I am quite confident about English ancestry being a bit overestimated in this site. Though at same time it’s occasionally hidden in “Irish” people. As written above “Alice was the daughter of James Paul Thomas Nealon and Catherine Schofield, who were Irish”. Schofield is an English surname.
I would’ve guessed Scandinavian. Especially since her last name is Anderson.