Jimmy Kimmel
Kimmel in 2014, photo by Joe Seer/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: James Christian Kimmel
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: November 13, 1967
Ethnicity
*father – Irish, German, Welsh
*mother – Italian
Jimmy Kimmel is an American television and radio personality, actor, writer, producer, comedian, and musician. He has hosted the show Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003.
His father, James John Kimmel, is of approximately five eighths Irish, one quarter German, and one eighth Welsh, ancestry. His mother, Joan (Iacono), is of Italian descent. Some of Jimmy’s maternal ancestors lived on Ischia island, located 19 miles from Naples. His family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, when Jimmy was nine. Jimmy is married to writer Molly McNearney. He has two children with his former wife Gina Maddy; and two children with Molly.
His uncle, police officer Frank Potenza, known as “Uncle Frank,” appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a regular, his Aunt Chippy, Concetta Potenza, was also a featured part of the show, and his cousin, attorney, comedian, and writer Sal Iacono, has appeared on some of Jimmy’s series. His brother, Jonathan Kimmel, is a director, writer, producer, actor, and composer, and his sister Jill is a comedian. His nephew, Jonathan’s son, is actor Wesley Kimmel.
Jimmy’s patrilineal line can be traced to Johannes Kümmel, who was born, c. 1600, in Germany.
Jimmy’s paternal grandfather was Charles Jacob Kimmel (the son of Frank Kimmel and Catherine Reynolds). Charles was born in Brooklyn, New York. Frank was the son of a German immigrant, Konrad Heinrich Christian Kümmel, who was born in Gospenroda, Thuringia. Catherine was of Irish descent, and was the daughter of Charles A. Reynolds and Catherine “Katie” Miller.
Jimmy’s paternal grandmother was Jane Elizabeth Davies/Davis (the daughter of John William Davies/Davis and Honora/Nora Margaret McTeague/McTigue). Jane was born in Loretto, Pennsylvania. John was born in England, the son of Ellis Davies, whose parents were Welsh, and of Mariah/Maria Burns, who was of Irish origin. Honora was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of John James Francis McTigue, who was from Mayo, Ireland, and of Mary Ann Meehan, who was born in Staffordshire, England, and was also of Irish origin.
Jimmy’s maternal grandfather was Savino/Sal Jack Iacono (the son of Vincenzo Iacono and Maria Giuseppa Lombardi). Savino was born in New York, to Italian parents. Vincenzo was born in Naples, Campania, the son of Giuseppe Filippo Antonio Stanislao Iacono and Restituta D’Orio. Maria was born, c. 1859, in Casamicciola, Ischia, Campania, the daughter of Luigi Francesco Lombardi and Cecilia Capuano.
Jimmy’s maternal grandmother was Edith Cioffi (the daughter of Pasquale Cioffi and Concetta Guarino). Edith was born in New Hampshire. Pasquale was born in Candida, Avellino, Campania, Italy, the son of Pelligrino Domenico Cioffi and Gaetana Vitagliana. Concetta was born in Manocalzati, Avellino, Campania, Italy, the daughter of Sabino Gaetano Guiseppe Guarino and Carolina Frezza.
A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2016) stated that Jimmy’s genetic ancestry is:
*87% European
*11% West Asian
*2% African
The “West Asian” and “African” results evidently refer to North African ancestry through Jimmy’s southern Italian or Sicilian lines.
Genetically, he was found to have a common ancestor with retail businessperson, writer, and television personality Martha Stewart.
Sources: Segment on Jimmy’s family history – http://www.youtube.com
Genealogies of Jimmy Kimmel – http://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com
Jimmy’s paternal great-grandmother, Catherine Reynolds, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Jimmy’s paternal grandmother, Jane Elizabeth Davies/Davis, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Jimmy’s paternal great-grandparents, John William Davies/Davis and Honora/Nora Margaret McTeague/McTigue, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Information on Jimmy’s Italian ancestry – http://napoli.repubblica.it
https://www.youtube.com
Obituary of Jimmy’s maternal grandfather, Savino/Sal Jack Iacono – http://www.lasvegassun.com
Where does Welsh come from? John William Davies was born in England, as was both his parents. Additionally, Honora was born in Pennsylvania, to an Irish father and an English mother. Thus, Kimmel’s father is of three eights Irish, three eights English, and one quarter German, ancestry.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Kimmel-375
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGHL-SLX
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4JK-5XD
Updated with more information. Lots of Irish and Welsh people moved to England.
How did you get the names of John’s and Honora’s parents?
http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=1030
He looks half Asian.
On Finding Your Roots, Gates told Kimmel his North African DNA was from Sicily..?
which is his Sicilian ancestor?
I don’t know. Henry Louis Gates said he had ancestors from Sicily… it’s possible he meant Southern Italy..?
I think Gates meant Southern Italian, as his mother is not Sicilian. When people speak of Southern Italians in the U.S., they think of Sicilians because most Southern Italians who immigrated here were Sicilian, I believe.
He stated that north African ancestry “can be traced back to the Tunisian Muslim conquerors of Sicily”.
This guy has a strange built…If you were to see him without measuring his height you’d think that he is short, barely over 5’5. Except, that he’s over 180cm tall. Like wtf…he doesn’t look it. And tall/short people usually look it by face and torso value. Strange….
Jimmy’s maternal ancestors were from Ischia island, located 19 miles from Naples.
Jimmy’s maternal grandfather Sal Iacono was born in New York to Vincenzo Iacono and Maria Giuseppa Lombardi. Maria was born c. 1859 in Casamicciola, Ischia, Campania, to Cecilia Capuano and Luigi Francesco Lombardi.
http://napoli.repubblica.it/cronaca/2015/06/23/news/ischia_l_appello_di_jimmy_kimmel_cerco_i_miei_parenti_-117523888/
Jimmy talks about his Italian roots at Ischia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkhGn74xQHI