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
That comes from us.
For the record, the George L. (Lee) Klein who died in 1988 was the son of Samuel Klein and Edith Silverman.
I think Kevin James is 50% German, 25% Romanian Jewish, 12.5% Greek Jewish, and 12.5% Italian.
How come we are uncertain that George Lee Klein was Kevin James maternal grandfather? Also assuming he is the grandfather are my percentages accurate?
George L. Klein was probably his grandfather, and Theodora Bruno his grandmother, but I just need a little more something (anything) to be sure. And yes.
Follers, not sure you have an ancestry.com subscription (mine expired recently) but under “1940 United States Federal Census” it says Janet B. Klein, 1939 NY. Parents Theodora G. Klein and George L. Klein.
That’s right.
@ follers
Which is his mother’s surname?
I don’t know, but the name Valentine obviously comes from James’ father and grandfather, both named Joseph Valentine Knipfing.
So it’s a middle name
There are lots of non-Jewish Himmelmans. I don’t think James’ great-great-grandmother Regina was Jewish.
There does not appear to be many Janet Knipfings in the U.S. So maybe this obituary is of Kevin’s maternal grandfather, since the man’s daughter is named “Janet Knipfing”.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKT9-4HN9
Unless I’m missing something, I believe this is right, and that this is James’ mother and her family.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7MT-619
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=33409528
Are these all the right people, or am I mixing something up?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJY7-9NB
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4P8-86L
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WT5-DN9
His mother was born in December 1938, so that just might be her.
On the other hand, the name on the obit for is wife is Jo-An Sigismondi, and it’s Theodora Bruno on that census. Do you have any more evidence that these are the same people?
For one thing, the George Klein who died on December 16, 1988 had the middle initial “L.”, just like the George Klein on the census, and was the right age, and was from New York.
Jo-An Sigismondi could be a second wife, or it could be a nickname.
The only other Janet Knipfing in the U.S. was born with that surname.
This all seem to make sense. If it’s correct, Kevin’s mother is of three quarters Jewish and one quarter Italian descent (assuming the latter isn’t Jewish as well). Esther was a Greek Jew.
Indeed. This is what is puzzling me. Has James ever mentioned his ancestry? I guess it would make a kind of sense that he never talks about his Jewish heritage, since he practices Catholicism, and was probably raised as such.
Still, it’s a little odd.
I’ll research further, of course.
See, for the people on the census to not be James’ family, there would have to be a whole other family where:
-the father is named George L. Klein
-the daughter is named Janet B.
-George was born around 1917
-Janet was born around 1938
-They lived in New York
-George is presumably Jewish, since his wife, Theodora, had a Jewish mother
Is it really plausible that there were two families with this exact background? Almost certainly not.
I found a written-out obituary of George Klein that states Janet Knipfing lived in Stony Brook, New York, where Kevin grew up. That settles the issue to my satisfaction.
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/495967199/
Oh, and the New York Marriage records on ancestry.com list Joseph Knipfing marrying Janet Klein.
The only reason he doesn’t look typically german is because he’s stocky and fat.. let’s face it.
He’s an ethnic German from the nose down.
I believe his mother is Italian or Albanian.