Leighton Meester

Meester in 2011, Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Leighton Marissa Meester

Place of Birth: Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas, U.S.

Date of Birth: April 9, 1986

Ethnicity: German, Dutch, English, Irish, along with Scottish and Welsh

Leighton Meester is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and fashion model. She is known for her role as Blair Waldorf on the series Gossip Girl.

Her surname, Meester, means master or teacher in Dutch. Her father is of approximately one quarter German, one quarter Dutch, one quarter Irish, and one quarter English, ancestry. Her mother is of half German descent, with her other roots being English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh.

She is married to actor Adam Brody, with whom she has two children.

Leighton’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced to Jacob Harms Meester, who was born, c. 1788, in Ostfriesland, Germany, to Harmen Roelfs Janssen Meester and Sophie Jacobs. It is possible that the Meester family in Germany has Dutch ancestry of some kind.

Leighton’s paternal grandfather was Jacob Meester, Jr., later Jay Meester (the son of Jacob/Jake Aneus/Ernest Meester and Mae Kathryn Jacobs). Jacob, Jr. was born in Bannon, Arizona. Jacob was born in Iowa, to Harm M. Meester, who was born in Illinois, of German descent, and Maria Koenig, who was a German immigrant. Mae was born in Iowa, to Abraham Jacobs and Wilhelmina “Minnie” Van Neuren, who were both Dutch immigrants.

Leighton’s paternal grandmother was Helen Joy Morrissey (the daughter of Leonidas “Lee” Francis Morrissey and Olive Frances Stone). Helen was born in Long Beach, California. Lee was born in Nebraska, to Edward Francis Morrissey, who had Irish ancestry, and Louise Genevieve Fahey, whose parents were Irish immigrants. Olive was born in Vernal, Utah, to Henry John Stone, who was born in England, and Susan Louisa Stratton, who was born in Utah, to English parents, James E. Stratton, from Hertfordshire, and Frances Clark, from Cambridgeshire.

Leighton’s maternal grandfather was Robert Henry Haas (the son of Michael Haas and Marie/Mary Helen Niebling). Robert was born in Arizona, to German parents.

Leighton’s maternal grandmother was Violet Marie Reed (the daughter of John Logan Reed and Daucie Katherine “Dossie” Kerley). Violet was born in Tennessee. Violet’s ancestry included English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh. Many branches of Violet’s family tree had lived in the United States since the 1600s. John was the son of James Reed and Martha. Daucie was the daughter of Green Berry Kerley and Margaret Ann Sherrell/Sherrill.

Sources: Genealogies of Leighton Meester – http://gw.geneanet.org
https://www.geni.com

Leighton’s paternal grandfather, Jacob Meester, Jr., on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Leighton’s paternal great-grandmother, Mae Kathryn Jacobs, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Leighton’s paternal grandmother, Helen Joy Morrissey, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Leighton’s paternal great-grandfather, Leonidas “Lee” Francis Morrissey, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Leighton’s paternal great-grandmother, Olive Frances Stone, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Leighton’s maternal grandfather, Robert Henry Haas, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Leighton’s maternal great-grandparents, Michael Haas and Marie/Mary Helen Niebling, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Leighton’s maternal grandmother, Violet Marie Reed, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Leighton’s maternal great-grandmother, Daucie “Dossie” Katherine (Kerley) Reed (focusing on her own father’s side) – https://findagrave.com

Genealogy of Leighton’s maternal great-great-great-great-grandmother, Jemima (Oxsheer) Kerley – https://www.geni.com

Meester in 2008, photo by David Shankbone