Jordan Peele

Peele in 2012, photo by Joe Seer/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Jordan Haworth Peele

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

Date of Birth: February 21, 1979

Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – English, as well as remote Scottish and Dutch

Jordan Peele is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is known for writing, directing, and producing the films Get Out, Us, and Nope. He has often worked with Keegan-Michael Key, and the two are known as Key & Peele.

His father, Hayward Peele, Jr., was black. He was born in Robersonville, Martin, North Carolina. Jordan’s mother, Lucinda J. Williams, is white, of English descent, along with remote Scottish and Dutch. She was born in Salisbury, Maryland. She has roots in Colonial America of the 1600s, specifically Maryland and Massachusetts. Jordan is married to actress and comedian Chelsea Peretti, with whom he has a son.

A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2021) stated that Jordan’s genetic ancestry is:

*51% European
*46% African
*2% Caucasus
*1% Native American

In 2015, The New Yorker wrote that growing up, Jordan’s mother “had her share of dealing with other people’s incredulity, especially as a pale, blue-eyed blonde.” She was quoted as saying:

Having parents with different ethnic identities was not a particularly unusual situation here [in Manhattan], nor was being raised by a single parent… [Jordan was] obviously my joy… [but strangers tended to] assume he was adopted or I was watching someone else’s child. When he was still in a stroller, I would see people’s faces freeze and then look away upon leaning in to admire the baby. You could almost see a ‘Does Not Compute’ sign light up in their eyes.

Jordan’s paternal grandfather was named Mathew Haywood Peel (the son of Matthew Peel/Peele and Mary). Haywood was born in North Carolina. Jordan’s great-great-grandmother Alvania Peel was born into slavery.

Jordan’s paternal grandmother was Lucy May/Mae Doggert (the daughter of Mancy Doggert and Hattie/Harriet/Mattie Burnett/Burnette/Bernett). Lucy was born in North Carolina, the daughter of sharecroppers who worked on a farm with tobacco, peanuts, and corn. Mancy was the son of Adam Doggert/Doggett/Dogert and Georgeana/Georganna/Georgianna Tillery. Hattie was the daughter of Sidney/Sydney Robert Burnette/Burnett and Lucy A. Lynch.

Jordan’s maternal grandfather was Earl Haworth Williams (the son of Earl Monroe Williams and Mary Leona Nichols). Jordan’s grandfather Earl was born in Salisbury, Wicomico, Maryland. Jordan’s great-grandfather Earl was the son of John Henry Delaney Williams and Lillie/Lilly Emily Virginia Hilghman. Mary Leona was the daughter of George Washington Nichols and Ruth Isabelle Lowe.

Jordan’s maternal grandmother was Josephine Helen Taylor (the daughter of Everett Sidney Taylor and Louise Strong). Josephine was born in Salisbury, Wicomico, Maryland. Everett was the son of Algernon Sidney/Sydney Taylor and Mary Rietta Johnson. Louise was the daughter of Walter Robbins Strong and Henrietta M. “Nettie” Wicks.

Sources: Marriage record of Jordan’s paternal grandparents, Haywood Peel and Lucy May/Mae Doggert – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of Jordan’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Sidney/Sydney Robert Burnette/Burnett and Lucy A. Lynch – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Jordan Peele (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://famouskin.com

Wedding announcement of Jordan’s maternal grandparents, Earl Haworth Williams and Josephine Helen Taylor – https://www.newspapers.com

Obituary of Jordan’s maternal grandmother, Josephine Helen Taylor – http://www.legacy.com