Jane Fonda

Fonda in 2014, photo by prphotos

Birth Name: Jayne Seymour Fonda

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

Date of Birth: December 21, 1937

Ethnicity: Dutch, English, Scottish, French-Canadian, around 1/64th Italian, smalls amount of German and Belgian [Flemish], remote Norwegian and Cornish

Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, fitness guru, model, and political activist. She has twice won the Academy Award for Best Actress, for Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978).

She is the daughter of socialite Frances Ford (Seymour), who was born in Brockville, Leeds, Ontario, Canada, and actor Henry Fonda (Henry Jaynes Fonda). She has a daughter with her former husband, French director Roger Vadim; and two children, including actor Troy Garity, with her former husband, political activist Tom Hayden. Her brother was actor Peter Fonda (Peter Henry Fonda), and her niece is actress Bridget Fonda.

Jane is of Dutch, English, Scottish, French-Canadian, around 1/64th Italian, small amounts of German and Belgian [Flemish], and remote Norwegian and Cornish, descent.

The Fonda surname is said to originate with an Italian man who moved to the Netherlands in the 1400s or 1500s. It is not clear if this has been genealogically verified. One of Jane’s last traceable patrilineal ancestors, Jacob Harmense Fonda, was born in the Netherlands, c. 1515. However, one of Jane’s maternal great-great-great-great-grandfathers, Giovanni Gualdo, was Italian, from Vicenza, Veneto, making Jane of 1/64th Italian ancestry.

Jane’s paternal grandfather was William Brace Fonda (the son of Ten Eyck/TenEyck Hilton Fonda and Harriet/Harriett/Harrite/Hattie/Hettie McNeil/McNeill). William was born in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska. Ten Eyck was born in Fonda, Montgomery, New York, the son of Garrett/Garret Tunis/Teunis Breese Fonda and Rachel Polhemus/Palkey. Harriet was born in Charleston-Four-Corners, Montgomery, New York, the daughter of James McNeil/McNeill and Eliza Ann Paris.

Jane’s paternal grandmother was Herberta Elma Jaynes (the daughter of Henry Silas Jaynes and Elma/Eleanor L. Lanphear/Lamphear/Lampher/Lanphere). Herberta was born in Hudson, St. Croix, Wisconsin. Henry was the son of Henry Clinton Jaynes and Almira Louger Jacobs. Jane’s great-grandmother Elma was the daughter of Allan/Allen Lanphear and Marie Louise Mitchell, whose parents were from New Hampshire.

Jane’s maternal grandfather was Eugene Ford Seymour (the son of George DeVillers Seymour and Frances Gabriella Ford). Eugene was born in New York, New York. George was the son of George Nichols Seymour and Sophie/Sophia Marie/Mary Lefebre DeVillers/De Villers/DeVilliers, whose father was French. Frances was the daughter of Henry Augustus Ford and Jane Hosack Millen.

Jane’s maternal grandmother was Sophie Mildred Bower (the daughter of Harvey Bower and Frances Marcella C. Capel). Sophie was born in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada. Harvey was the son of Joseph Bower, whose father was Scottish, and of Mary Ann Huntington. Frances was the daughter of John/Joseph Capel/Capell and Eliza Munro/Monro.

Sources: Genealogies of Jane Fonda – https://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com
http://famouskin.com
https://geneagraphie.com

Genealogies of Jane’s parents – http://www.findagrave.com

Jane’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Jane’s maternal grandfather, Eugene Ford Seymour, on the 1870 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org