Kevin James
James in 2010, image via actionsports/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Kevin George Knipfing
Place of Birth: Mineola, Long Island, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 26, 1965
Ethnicity:
*father – German
*mother – three quarters Jewish [Ashkenazi, Sephardi], one quarter Italian
Kevin James is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer.
Kevin was born Kevin George Knipfing, the son of Janet, who worked in a chiropractor’s office, and Joseph Valentine Knipfing, Jr., an insurance agency owner. His brother is actor, comedian, and writer Gary Valentine. He was raised in Stony Brook, New York. Kevin is married to actress Steffiana de la Cruz, who is of Filipino descent. The couple has four children.
His father was of German ancestry. Kevin’s maternal grandfather was Ashkenazi Jewish, of Hungarian Jewish, Polish Jewish, and Russian Jewish descent. Kevin’s maternal grandmother was the daughter of an Italian-American (Catholic) father and a Sephardi Jewish mother, of Greek Jewish/Turkish Jewish descent. In college, Kevin was a member of Pi Lambda Phi, a historically Jewish fraternity.
Kevin practices Catholicism. He has said:
I’m Catholic Christian. My father always took us to church and we went as a family. I knew, at times in my life, where I would not fall away completely out of the faith, but just not be as faithful and not learn as much. Later on in life, I just started coming back to it more and more. And I’m continuing to learn more and more each day and trying to be the person that God wants me to be.
Kevin’s paternal grandfather was Joseph Valentine Knipfing (the son of Michael John Knipfing and Anna Marie Leist). Joseph was born in New York. Michael was born in Germany, the son of Michael John Knuepfing/Knipfing and Regina Eva Himmelman Hilpert. Anna Marie was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of German parents, Johanne August Leist, from Alsace-Lorraine, and Mary Anna Madlinger, from Baden.
Kevin’s paternal grandmother was Helen Josephine Wolf (the daughter of William Wolf, Jr. and Anna Marie/Mary Eckert). Helen was born in New York. William was born in New York, of German descent, the son of William Wolf and Catherina Ruppert. Anna Marie was born in New York, the daughter of German parents, George Eckert and Kunigunda Meyer/Leyer.
Kevin’s maternal grandfather was George Lee Klein (the son of Samuel M. Klein and Edith H./E. Silverman). George was born in New York, and was Jewish. Samuel was born in New York, the son of Hungarian Jewish parents, David Klein and Lena Steiner. Edith was born in New York, to Polish Jewish/Russian Jewish parents, Harry N. Silverman and Chaja Sarah Apt, who was from Wloclawek.
Kevin’s maternal grandmother was Theodora G. Bruno (the daughter of William Andrew Bruno and Ester/Esther Beatrice/Bienvenida Levy). Theodora was born in New York. William was Italian, and was born in Pescara, Abruzzo, the son of Tancredi Bruno and Theodora G. Laurella. Ester was born in Thessaloniki, to Greek Jewish parents, Mordo/Mardohai Levy and Mercada Capon.
James with wife Steffiana de la Cruz in 2011, s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
Sources: Genealogy of Kevin James (focusing on his father’s side) – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Kevin’s paternal grandparents, Joseph Valentine Knipfing and Helen Josephine Wolf, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Kevin’s paternal grandmother, Helen Josephine Wolf, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Kevin’s mother on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Kevin’s maternal grandfather, George Lee Klein, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Kevin’s maternal grandfather, George Lee Klein – https://www.newspapers.com
Grave site of Kevin’s maternal grandfather, George Lee Klein – https://www.findagrave.com
Marriage record of Kevin’s maternal great-grandparents, Samuel M. Klein and Edith H./E. Silverman – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Kevin’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Dorothea/Dora (Guranowsky) Apt – https://www.geni.com
Obituary of Kevin’s maternal grandmother, Theodora G. (Bruno) Klein Feldt – https://www.legacy.com
Kevin’s maternal grandmother, Theodora G. Bruno, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
New York passenger record of Kevin’s maternal grandmother, Theodora G. Bruno – https://www.familysearch.org
Kevin’s maternal great-grandparents, William Andrew Bruno and Ester/Esther Beatrice/Bienvenida Levy, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Kevin’s maternal great-grandfather, William Andrew Bruno – https://www.familysearch.org
I would have thought he was Celtic
Jew?
No, definitely not.
We get it Neil Tennant you are right but why be so offensive?
“no my dear he does not look german thats a fact”
A fact? Wth does that mean? How can the look of an entire nation be called a fact?
“germans can be different but he would be a foreigner if he vsists germany”
He would be a foreigner because he’s American. If you mean he would look foreign then you need to explain to me why.
I always thought he was Irish or something. Idk why. But he’s German. Not typical German looking but ok.
How exactly do irish people look? How exactly do german people look? It’s like saying someone looks more spanish then portuguese. LOL
Why is it obvious again, because he doesn’t look german?
“no my dear he does not look german thats a fact”
A fact? Wth does that mean? How can the look of an entire nation be called a fact?
“germans can be different but he would be a foreigner if he vsists germany”
He would be a foreigner because he’s American. If you mean he would look foreign then you need to explain to me why.
I didn’t say american was a race, you said he would be a foreigner and i said of course because he would because he’s from america. Foreign is about where your from not what your ethnicity is.
“there must be something else like british or italian or other european descent”
A. You’d have to prove that
B. Why? You still haven’t explained what about him means he cannot be german.
Foreign:of, relating to, or derived from another country or nation; not native.
He’s American and thus would be a foreigner in Germany. If you mean he would appear foreign then you should have stated that.
“are you from the us ? that would explain why you don’t understand what i wrote”
What’s that supposed to mean?
“therefore it is uncommon that kevin james has only german roots”
I assume you mean unlikely. You didn’t just say, however, that its unlikely that he’s only german, you said “there must be something else like british or italian or other european descent” AND I WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHY THAT IS? WHY CANT HE BE FULLY GERMAN? ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
what makes him so non-german looking huh? please, enlighten me.
Indeed.
Almost certainly, Kevin James’ mother is of three quarters Jewish and one quarter Italian descent.