Jeff Buckley

Birth Name: Jeffrey Scott Buckley

Date of Birth: November 17, 1966

Place of Birth: Anaheim, Orange, California, United States

Date of Death: May 29, 1997

Place of Death: Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.

Ethnicity:
*father – Irish, one quarter Italian/Sicilian, as well as English, French/French-Canadian, distant Scottish
*mother – Greek, Panamanian/Spanish, French, German

Jeff Buckley was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

He was born in Anaheim, California, the son of Mary Guibert and singer Tim Buckley (Timothy Charles Buckley III). His father was born in Washington, D.C., of Irish, as well as English, French/French-Canadian, one quarter Italian/Sicilian, and distant Scottish, descent. His mother is a Zonian (from the Panama Canal Zone), of Greek, Panamanian/Spanish, French, and German descent. Jeff was raised by his mother and stepfather, Ron Moorhead, in Southern California, and was known as Scott Moorhead for a time.

Jeff’s paternal grandfather was Timothy Charles “Buck” Buckley, Jr. (the son of Timothy Charles Buckley and Charlotte Lenahan). Jeff’s grandfather Timothy was born in New York, and was a highly decorated World War II veteran, who was of Irish ancestry, including from County Cork. Jeff’s great-grandfather Timothy was the son of an Irish immigrant, Timothy Buckley, and of an English immigrant, Catherine Boyle, whose own parents were Irish. Charlotte was the daughter of Joseph Lenahan, whose parents were Irish, and of Helen Minor. Helen’s father, Louis Napoleon Minor, was born in France or Canada. Helen’s mother, Sophia Green, had English ancestry.

Jeff’s paternal grandmother was Elaine Doris Scalia (the daughter of George Simone Scalia and Gertrude Belle Girton). Elaine was born in Washington, D.C. George was the son of Simone Scalia, an Italian immigrant; and of Frances Bonavires, who was the daughter of Paolo/Paul Bonavires, who was born in Sicily, Italy, and worked as a barber for President Abraham Lincoln, and of Pauline Gatto, who was born in New York, also of Italian descent. Gertrude was the daughter of Harry Remy Girton, who had French-Canadian and Irish ancestry, and of Dora Bell Simmons, who had English, and some Scottish, ancestry.

Jeff’s maternal grandfather was George Peter Guibert, Jr. (the son of George Peter Guibert, Sr. and Isabel Velásquez). Jeff’s grandfather George was born in Panama, and was born a Panamanian citizen, later receiving U.S. citizenship; his own father was born in Pennsylvania and his mother was Panamanian. Jeff’s great-grandfather George was the son of Peter M. Guibert, a Union Army drummer, and of Marlena Lina/”Lena” Hartman, who were born in Froeschwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France, and Germany, respectively.

Jeff’s maternal grandmother was Anna Marcella Smiros (the daughter of Costas/Contares John Smiros and Antonia Payablas). Anna was born in New York. Costas was born in Greece, the son of Sofia. Antonia was born in Panama, the daughter of John Payablas, who was Greek, and of Hermisenda Domínguez Zúñiga, who was Panamanian, and had Spanish ancestry.

Sources: A Pure Drop: The Life of Jeff Buckley, 2008, by Jeff Apter

Genealogy of Jeff Buckley – https://www.geni.com

Jeff’s paternal grandfather, Timothy Charles “Buck” Buckley, Jr., on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Jeff’s paternal grandmother, Elaine Scalia, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Immigration record of Jeff’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Hermisenda Domínguez Zúñiga – https://www.familysearch.org