Kurt Cobain
Cobain in 1993, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Kurt Donald Cobain
Date of Birth: February 20, 1967
Place of Birth: Aberdeen, Washington, U.S.
Date of Death: April 5, 1994
Place of Death: Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Ethnicity: English, Irish, Scottish, Northern Irish/Scots-Irish, German, Dutch, French/French-Canadian
Kurt Cobain was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the lead singer, guitarist, primary songwriter, and co-founder of grunge band Nirvana. Known as a symbol, and reluctant spokesperson, of Generation X, his songwriting highlighted angst and an anti-establishment attitude. He co-wrote Nirvana songs “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Aneurysm,” and wrote Nirvana songs “Come as You Are,” “Lithium,” “In Bloom,” “Something in the Way,” “Heart-Shaped Box,” “All Apologies,” “About a Girl,” and “You Know You’re Right.” Other members of Nirvana were Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, as well as Aaron Burckhard, Dale Crover, and Jason Everman. He was also a member of punk rock band Fecal Matter, along with Crover.
Kurt was the son of Wendy Elizabeth (Fradenburg), a waitress, and Donald Leland Cobain, an automotive mechanic. His uncle, Chuck Fradenburg, played in the band the Beachcombers, and his aunt, Mari Earle, played guitar and performed. His great-uncle, Delbert Cobain, was an Irish tenor.
With his wife, musician Courtney Love, Kurt was the father of visual artist Frances Bean Cobain.
Kurt’s father was of Irish, English, Dutch, French/French-Canadian, Northern Irish/Scots-Irish, Scottish, and distant German, descent. The name Cobain originates in Ireland, and was spelled Cobane, tracing to Inishatieve, a townland in Carrickmore, County Tyrone. Kurt’s mother is of Dutch, Irish, Scottish, English, and German ancestry.
Kurt’s paternal grandfather was Leland Elmer Cobain (the son of John James Arthur Cobain and Grace Almeda Gibson). Leland was born in Montesano, Grays Harbor, Washington. John was the son of John James Cobain, who was born, c. 1863, in Tyrone, Ireland, and of Anna Minerva van Alstyne/van Alstine, whose own parents were from Stormont, Ontario, Canada. Grace was the daughter of Jasper Gibson and Mary A. Ford, whose own mother, Mary Elizabeth Moore, was born in Iowa.
Kurt’s paternal grandmother was Iris Maxine LeBrot (the daughter of Neil Clairmont LeBrot and Florence J. Tuck). Iris was born in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington. Neil was the son of Thomas LeBrot, whose paternal grandfather was French, and whose mother was born in Québec, Canada; and of Delia Clairmont, whose father was from Québec, and whose mother was from County Wexford, Ireland. Florence was the daughter of Benjamin Franklin Tuck, whose father was from Ontario, Canada; and of Theodosia Evalene Spangler.
Kurt’s maternal grandfather was Charles Thomas Fradenburg (the son of Charles Lester Fradenburg and Elizabeth/Lizzie M. Ultican). Kurt’s grandfather Charles was born in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington. Kurt’s great-grandfather Charles was born in Nebraska, the son of William H. Fradenburg and Irene Diamond. Kurt’s great-grandmother Elizabeth was born in Wisconsin, the daughter of James Ultican, who was from New Brunswick, Canada, and whose own father, and maternal grandparents, were Irish, with roots in Cavan and Wexford; and of Bridget Elizabeth/Lizzie Sullivan, whose own parents, John D. Sullivan and Catherine Harrington, were also Irish, from County Cork.
Kurt’s maternal grandmother was Margaret/Peggy Dawson Irving (the daughter of James William Irving and Ada Elizabeth Dawson). Margaret was born in Washington. James was born in Hawick, Scotland, the son of William Irving and Mary Ann Robertson. Ada was born in Upchurch, Kent, England, the daughter of George Albert Henry Dawson and Elizabeth Lovelock.
Sources: Genealogies of Kurt Cobain – https://www.geni.com
https://gw.geneanet.org
https://famouskin.com
Genealogy of Kurt Cobain (through his daughter, Frances Bean Cobain) – http://www.wargs.com
Genealogy of Kurt Cobain (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.wikitree.com
Genealogies of Kurt’s paternal grandparents, Leland Elmer Cobain and Iris Maxine LeBrot – http://www.findagrave.com
Kurt’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Thomas LeBrot, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
John James Cobain was born, c. 1863, in Tyrone, Northern Ireland
http://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/Cobain-Family-Tree-1
Kurt Cobain is English. Also has Irish, Scottish etc. Cobain is English name. It came from Cobham in Surrey and Kent in south England. Look on house of names website. He also looks and sounds English.
He claimed to have Irish ancestry from Cork
http://kurtcobain.com/interviews/the-lost-interview-guitar-world/
I’ve put up a complete version of his ancestry.
A lot of Irish have English names. There has been a lot of English, Scots and Welsh in Ireland from hundreds of years back. Also alot of Irish names were anglicised.
The original Cobains would have come from England sometime in the past but if they have been in Ireland for hundreds of years they would be most likely more Irish now.
Anyway he has quite a few Irish names in his ancestry like Sullivan, Harrington and Murphy.
“Catherine Harrington” may have been born in Ireland, and her ancestors were *probably* Irish, but the Harrington surname is far more “English” than “Irish”.
Harrington in Ireland is an Anglicization, although there is also history of British families with that surname moving to Ireland.
http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/families_clans/The-Harrington-clan.html
Yes there are a lot of English names in Ireland. Harrington is quite a numerous name there. Just look at Pádraig Harrington for example. He is one of Ireland’s best golfers.
He was from the USA not England.
Of course he has a mixture of descent, most Americans do.
The surname is actually traced to Tyrone in modern Northern Ireland where his great-great-great grandfather was a shoe maker, it possibly is an anclicized version of MacConboirne.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/nirvana-legend-kurt-cobains-roots-traced-to-co-tyrone-28528834.html
WRONG. Kurt Cobain is an American of multiple ethnicities. What is with you English people on this site and claiming mixed Americans as English? Its like you’re so desperate to prove to everyone that contrary to the stereotype the British aren’t ugly. Great job using multi-ethnic Americans who are more representitive of the new world whites than anything to use for your rebuttal.
I’ve lived and went to school in England and NOT ONE of the boys ever looked like Brad Pitt, Kurt Cobain, Paul Walker or any of the other people you lot like to claim as “english” or english looking on this website. American whites haven’t looked english since the 1700s. Wehn im in Britain I see a very notcieable difference between British whites and American ones (and not only because they tend to be uglier than American). There are many Britain looks and phenotypes you just will never find in America like this look
http://new4.fjcdn.com/comments/Wat+the+fuk+did+you+jus+fukin+sy+abou+me+_09cddd977aa21792732f0a6f8072e0da.jpg
^ I’ve not once seen an American look like that ever, but loads of Brits who do. Brits look very distinctive from American whites and its largely because American whites have multiple ancestries. You can’t sit here and tell me the other ancestries don’t matter or make a difference in their appearance like English is some sort of god ethnicity that over rules all the others lmao
Caligurl no offense but you sound like a retard and I doubt you actually lived in England. What were you attempting to prove with that photo. You might as well post an ugly black person and then compare them to Beyonce. Ofcourse the majority of a people don’t look like famous entertainers you git. That doesn’t mean the entertainers don’t have phenotypes common of their people which is the case with Kurt Cobain here. He clearly looks Anglo. You’re just too much of an anglophobe to appreciate a good looking person of British or mostly British ancestry which is a real shame. Maybe one day you will stop being so racist against the British. Most American caucasian actors look majority british descent. American actors can easily fit in Australia and Britain so deal with it. Come to terms with the fact that you find many majority British people attractive :P
Andrew,
Cobain is a British name. It originated in the Lowlands of Scotland and Northern England.
It was brought to Ulster by the various English and Scottish Protestant settlers during the 1600s.
Labtec it isnt from scotland and north england! Where you imagine that from? Cobain is from south of England! It came from the town of Cobham in Surrey and kent. The Cobain family go back to anglo saxon times. He has part scottish and irish heratige but mainly English. His dads side was English. The Cobain name
This is not the case, in Ireland it was an anglicized version of a Gaelic surname, other examples of these are Neeson and Johnson, which are English sounding names bu really came from MacNeise and McShane.
The area in which his Irish ancestors came from is 90% Catholic so I would assume his ancestors were not from the plantations.
that is wrong. The surname Cobain comes from Northen Ireland
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/nirvana-legend-kurt-cobains-roots-traced-to-co-tyrone-14737909.html
Andrew you plank! Cobain is English. How is Cobain name irish? It isnt mac greggor or somethin! Cobain name comes from Cobham town in surrey and kent in south of england. Check records and house of names on web
his ancestor had “Cobane” as last name, then it was changed. No relation with Cobham.
You know most if not all Irish surnames are anglicized.
Danny, surnames are a complicated business in Ireland, during the 1600’s and 1700’s many Gaelic families had to change their surnames (turn them into the english form)
Just because people here have English surnames doesn’t not mean that that line of their descent actually were English.
I am O’Neill, many O’Neills in the past changed to Neilson, very English sounding but exactly the same descent as myself.