JD Vance

Birth Name: James Donald Bowman

Place of Birth: Middletown, Ohio, U.S.

Date of Birth: August 2, 1984

Ethnicity: English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, some Scottish, Irish, German, distant French and Welsh

JD Vance is an American commentator, politician, venture capitalist, and author. He wrote the book Hillbilly Elegy. A Republican, he has been a U.S. Senator from Ohio, since January 3, 2023.

JD is the son of Bev Vance and Donald Bowman. He went under the name James Hamel for a time, the surname of his adoptive stepfather. He later took on his mother’s family name. JD was largely raised by his maternal grandparents. His family is from an Appalachian background. JD served in the U.S. Marine Corps, in the Iraq War.

JD is married to Usha Chilukuri Vance, with whom he has three children. Usha is of Indian origin. Raised an evangelical Christian, JD converted to Catholicism in 2019.

JD’s paternal grandfather was named Don C. Bowman. Don was born in Kentucky.

JD’s maternal grandfather was James Lee Vance (the son of Wilburn/Wilbur Carl Lee Vance and Goldie/Golda Mae Bellamy). James was born in Kentucky. Wilburn was the son of Meekin/Meek Vance and Laura Bell Francis. Goldie was the daughter of Christopher Columbus “Lum” Bellamy and Mary Elizabeth Rudd.

JD’s maternal grandmother was Bonnie Lois/Eloise Blanton (the daughter of Blaine Blanton and Hattie Belle Hounshell). Bonnie was born in Kentucky. Blaine was the son of Samuel Tilden Blanton and Docia Howard. Hattie was the daughter of Samuel Thomas Hounshell and Alice Katherine Lovely.

Through his Hounshell line, JD is a fourth cousin, once removed, of entertainer Dax Shepard.

Sources: Genealogy of JD Vance – https://www.geni.com

Obituary of JD’s maternal grandfather, James Lee Vance – https://www.newspapers.com