Ian Ousley
Birth Name: Ian Luke Ousley
Place of Birth: College Station, Texas, U.S.
Date of Birth: March 28, 2002
Ethnicity: English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, German, roughly 1/64th African/African-American, distant French Huguenot, Dutch, Welsh, and Irish
Ian Ousley is an American actor. He plays Sokka on the live action Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
He has deep colonial roots in the United States. Ian has said that he has Cherokee Native American ancestry, from an unrecognized tribe called the Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky. All of his great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents are listed as “White” on U.S. Censuses, though, through his paternal Moore line, he has at least one great-great-great-grandfather who was listed as “Mulatto.”
Ian’s paternal grandfather was Richard Eugene “Dick” Ousley (the son of Grover Ousley and Alice Moore). Dick was born in Hippo, Kentucky. Grover was born in Floyd County, Kentucky, the son of Thomas “Tommy” Ousley and Lucy Eleanor Allen. Alice was born in Hippo, the daughter of The Rev. Andrew Jackson Moore and Jemima “Mima” Hicks. The Rev. Andrew’s father, Joel Moore, is described as “Mulatto” on the 1850 U.S. Census, along with his parents, Andrew and Elizabeth.
Ian’s paternal grandmother is the daughter of Clyde Warrix and Sylvania Crager. Clyde was born in Floyd County, Kentucky, the son of William Kenas/Keenis Warrix/Worrix and Arizona Howard. Slyvania was born in Floyd County, the daughter of Kendall Crager and Dovie Shepherd.
Ian’s maternal grandfather was Ted Neal Wyatt (the son of Clarence Newton Wyatt and Cornelia Mae “Neely Mae” Moore). Ted was born in Bryan, Texas. Clarence was born in Comanche County, Texas, the son of Joseph Luther “Luther” Wyatt, who was from White River, Arkansas, and of Willie Mae Hutson. Neely was born in Gustine, Texas, the daughter of William Oscar Moore, who was from Lineville, Alabama, and of Luella McCurdy, who was born in Comanche County.
Ian’s maternal grandmother is the daughter of Julian Guy Houston and Mary Lou Flanagan. Julian was born in Burleson County, Texas, the son of John Shelton Malcar Houston, from Caroline County, Virginia, and of Mary Sophia Haddox, from Wilcox County, Alabama. Ian’s great-gradmother Mary was born in Somerville, Texas, the daughter of William Harrison “Will” Flanagan and Acenith Sexton.
Ian’s matrilineal line can be traced to his ninth great-grandmother, Brigette Byrell, a Huguenot, who was born, c. 1673, in France.
Sources: https://www.cherokeephoenix.org
https://www.dailydot.com
Genealogy of Ian’s paternal grandfather, Richard Eugene “Dick” Ousley – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Ian’s paternal grandfather, Richard Eugene “Dick” Ousley – https://www.fellerandclark.com
Ian’s paternal great-great-great-grandparents, Joel Moore and Luemma/Emma/Louaney Gibson, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Ian’s paternal great-great-great-grandfather, Joel Moore, on the 1850 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Ian’s paternal grandmother – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Ian’s maternal grandfather, Ted Neal Wyatt – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Ian’s maternal grandfather, Ted Neal Wyatt – https://www.dignitymemorial.com
Genealogy of Ian’s maternal grandmother – https://www.familysearch.org
I doubt “African/African-American” is correct.
Joel Moore was listed as Mulatto in just one Census record but white in the other ones. He belonged actually to the Lumbee/Melungeon community, that are Free Colored Person.
Moore, Gibson, and Goins in particular, are typical surnames for them.
https://lumbeeindiansandgoinsfamily.blogspot.com/2011/06/moore-family-all-other-free-persons.html?m=1
This guy is super exotic thus he probably have other recent non Euro ancestry. Other Goins and related families descendants in this site are usually white.
“Cherokee” was just an umbrella term for non-white ancestry.
there is no genealogical indication of Cherokee. the claims so far are purely just claims.
but there is some substantial evidence that his 3rd great grandfather Joel Moore was of biracial ancestry. with him, his parents, and paternal grandparents all being listed as Mulatto on records.
He is visibly not fully European, you are right I think.
i mean Taylor Lautner is a prime example of how people of European backgrounds can be mistaken for indigenous when they are tan, black haired, and have slightly Asiatic eyes.
Ian could easily just get his looks from his European ancestry despite them bein g non-standard.