Johnny Depp
Depp in 2008
Birth Name: John Christopher Depp II
Place of Birth: Owensboro, Daviess, Kentucky, United States
Date of Birth: June 9, 1963
Ethnicity: English, along with small/distant amounts of Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French/French-Canadian, Dutch, Flemish Belgian, and German, as well as 3/2048 African
Johnny Depp is an American actor, producer, and musician. He is the star of the films A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Platoon, Cry-Baby, Edward Scissorhands, Benny and Joon, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Ed Wood, Dead Man, Donnie Brasco, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Sleepy Hollow, Chocolat, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, The Libertine, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Public Enemies, Alice in Wonderland (2010), and its sequel; Dark Shadows (2012), The Lone Ranger (2013), Black Mass, and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and the series 21 Jump Street. Johnny was selected People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2003, and again in 2009. He has often worked with director Tim Burton. He is a member of rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires, with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. He also founded film production company Infinitum Nihil.
Johnny is the son of Betty Sue (Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a civil engineer. He was raised partly in Miramar, Florida. He has two children, including actress and model Lily-Rose Depp, with his former partner, French singer, model, and actress Vanessa Paradis.
Much or most of Johnny’s ancestry traces back to England. He also has small amounts (to varying degrees) of Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French, French-Canadian, Dutch, Flemish Belgian, and German, ancestry, as well as 3/2048 African ancestry (through Elizabeth Key Grinstead, who is his ancestor twice over). Johnny’s patrilineal line is generally traced to Pierre Deppe, a Huguenot, who was born, c. 1706, in France, and to Pierre’s wife, Angelica/Angeline LeVillian/le Villian.
Both of Johnny’s parents, as well as all of Johnny’s grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents, were born in Kentucky. Johnny has stated, on several occasions, that he has or likely has Native American ancestry (of varying tribes, most often Cherokee). For example:
I guess I have some Native American somewhere down the line… My great grandmother was quite a bit of Native American, she grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek.
It does not appear that this Native American ancestry has been documented. All of Johnny’s grandparents and great-grandparents are listed as “White” on United States Censuses. No verified Native American ancestry has been produced for Johnny Depp.
LOS ANGELES – MAY 18: Depp arrives for “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” US Premiere in Hollywood, CA, 2017, photo by DFree
Johnny’s paternal grandfather was Oren Larry Depp (the son of Oren Richard Depp and Effie A. Palmore). Johnny’s grandfather Oren was born in Barren County, Kentucky. Johnny’s great-grandfather Oren was the son of John Burkes/Burks Depp and Mariba Elizabeth Reneau. Effie was the daughter of Andrew H. Palmore and Mary Elizabeth “Mollie” McCreary.
Johnny’s paternal grandmother was Violet Mattie Grinstead (the daughter of Robert Fauntleroy “Roy” Grinstead and Mary E. Bailey). Roy was the son of Christopher Tompkins Grinstead and Martha S. “Mattie” Sanders. Mary was the daughter of Joseph Taylor Bailey and Martha Ann Mansfield.
Johnny’s maternal grandfather was Walter Everett/Everette Wells (the son of Richard Mack/Mac Wells and Annie/Anna Cooper). Richard was the son of Commodore Perry Wells and Rebecca Ann “Beckie” Litteral/Little. Johnny’s great-grandmother Anna was the daughter of William M. “Bill” Cooper and Sallie/Sarah Kelly/Craft.
Johnny’s maternal grandmother was Bessie Whitaker (the daughter of Branch Whitaker and May/Mae Slone). Branch was the son of William C. Whitaker and Sirilda/Sarilda/Serilda Fletcher/Fletchet. May was the daughter of Wiley Slone and Amanda Bradley.
Johnny is descended from a woman, Martha, who was born in 1612, and who was of African descent. Martha had a daughter, Elizabeth Key Grinstead, married to William Grinstead, who were Johnny’s ancestors. Elizabeth’s father, Thomas Key, was caucasian, of English descent. Elizabeth was the first woman of African ancestry to successfully take legal action to free herself from slavery. This happened in 1656. Johnny is descended from Martha twice (on one family tree, she is both one of his eight times great-grandmothers, and one of his nine times great-grandmothers). That would mean that Johnny is of 3/2048 African ancestry.
Some family trees state that Johnny’s nine times great-grandmother was a woman named Nicketti Opechancanough, who is said to have been of Powhatan Native American ancestry. If true, that would make Johnny of 1/2048 Powhatan Native American descent. However, stories about her are believed to be a myth. Scholarly research and records dispute the existence of Nicketti Opechancanough.
Sources: Genealogies of Johnny Depp – https://famouskin.com
http://www.geni.com
http://www.genealogy.com
https://www.wikitree.com
Genealogy of Johnny’s paternal grandparents, Oren Larry Depp and Violet Mattie Grinstead – http://www.findagrave.com
Johnny’s paternal grandfather, Oren Larry Depp (“Laramore Depp”), on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Johnny’s paternal grandmother, Violet Mattie Grinstead (“Violet M. Grinstead”), on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Johnny’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Christopher Tompkins Grinstead and Martha S. “Mattie” Sanders, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy and obituary of Johnny’s mother – https://www.findagrave.com
Johnny’s maternal grandfather, Walter Everett/Everette Wells (“Everette Wells”), on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Johnny’s maternal great-grandmother, Annie/Anna (Cooper) Wells, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Johnny’s maternal great-great-grandparents, William M. “Bill” Cooper and Sallie/Sarah Kelly/Craft, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Johnny’s maternal grandmother, Bessie Whitaker, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Article about Johnny’s ancestor, Elizabeth (Key) Grinstead – http://www.womenhistoryblog.com
correction
https://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/Depp-Family-Tree-6
This a complete genealogy of him, not just of his father’s side
Johnny’s paternal 6th great-grandparents, John Reno and Mary Susannah Thorn, were also Taylor Swift’s paternal 7th great-grandparents
he has also distant Acadian/French Canadian ancestry trough Mary Molly Savoie who is an ancestor of Joseph Taylor Bailey
There’s no way someone with their ancestry being 95% northwest European would look like Depp.
There is a prominent and recent ethnic group (or race) in his blood that’s missing.
You’re stating random made up facts. You’re delusional.
Lots of people from Ireland (for example) have black hair and a natural tan, but you’d have to go back hundred if not thousands of years to the people who brought those genes into the country, so how far back do you go to say somebody isn’t, ethnically, North West European?
It appears some people found Johnny Depp’s Native American ancestor. Evidently his great-great-great-grandfather Harmon Solomon Cooper (father of William Cooper) was the son of a Native American woman, Nancy Black Fox. That would make Johnny of 1/64th Cherokee ancestry, through his maternal grandfather’s (and his grandfather’s mother’s) line. It would likely be the great-grandmother he refers to in the quote on the page (the one who was “quite a bit of Native American”).
I’m trying to verify if this is true or a recent addition to the internet cannon.
There seems to be no question that a William Cooper, born October 1848, was Depp’s great-great-grandfather. The questions are:
1. Whether it’s the same William Cooper whose father was Harmon Solomon Cooper (that Harmon’s son William’s middle initial was “H.”).
2. Whether Harmon’s mother has been verified as being a Cherokee Native American.
http://genealogy.kathihill.com/Person/family_group/383120
https://www.geni.com/people/Harmon-Cooper-Jr/6000000000442969134?through=6000000021334951045
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=94346820
Harmon Solomon Cooper, Jr.’s son, George Washington Cooper, is listed as having been born on May 27, 1848. Harmon’s son William Cooper was evidently his twin brother. If William was Harmon’s twin brother (or even if he wasn’t), then he couldn’t have been Depp’s great-great-grandfather, who was born in October 1848.
Depp’s great-great-grandfather is also listed as having the middle initial “M”, while Harmon’s son William had the middle initial “H”.
So I think they have made an error here in identifying Harmon Solomon Cooper, Jr. as Depp’s great-great-great-grandfather. But I could be wrong.
@follers
Like I said before, the Cherokee nation adopted a lot of people into their tribe in the late 1800’s. Those people lived and died Cherokee , but were not actually native. In the 1900’s, there were 37,000 Cherokee, of that number only 2000 were pure native, while 7000 were half. The rest were black and white people adopted into the tribe
Which is why this is what the Cherokee leadership looks like now:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bmL69xZDUfM/maxresdefault.jpg
@ follers
any thoughts about Patrick Dempsey and Chris Cooper’s Native American ancestry?
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Powhatan-21
?
it appears that she existed
”I certainly think that you should not remove Nicketti’s profile but simply clarify that it is based on a traditional account. ”
So it’s just speculation based on passed down stories. Not really deffinitive.