Lisa Bonet

Bonet in 2011, _bukley / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Lisa Michelle Boney

Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, United States

Date of Birth: November 16, 1967

Ethnicity:
*father – African-American, some Louisiana Creole [African, French]
*mother – Ashkenazi Jewish

Lisa Bonet is an American actress. She is known for playing Denise Huxtable on the series The Cosby Show.

Lisa was born in San Francisco, California. Her father, Allen, was from Texas, and had African-American, and some Louisiana Creole, ancestry. Her mother, Arlene, was Ashkenazi Jewish, from a family that emigrated from Russia, Poland, Belarus, and Moldova. Lisa was raised Jewish. Lisa has a daughter, actress and model Zoë Kravitz, with her former husband, singer and actor Lenny Kravitz; and two children with her former husband, actor, model, and producer Jason Momoa.

Lisa is a half-sister of musician and singer Kadhja Bonet.

In 1995, she legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon.

Lisa’s paternal grandfather was Samuel Murry Boney (the son of Albert Boney and Jennie Coatney).

Lisa’s paternal grandmother was Mary Orphy (the daughter of Victor Orphy/Orphe and Eloise/Elloise Eugene). Mary was born in Texas. Victor was born in Louisiana, the son of Babilas/Babila Orphy/Orphée, who was of Louisiana Creole descent, and of Jenevieve/Genevieve Johnson.

Lisa’s maternal grandfather was Eli Litman (the son of Abraham E. Litman and Fannie/Fanny Lillian Ageloff). Eli was born in Pennsylvania, to a Jewish immigrant father from Tourchen, Russia, and a Jewish immigrant mother from Vitebsk, Belarus. Fannie was the daughter of Hillel/Eli Ageloff and Chaia/Chai/Cha Rochell/Rochel/Ida Rose Liebman/Leibman, from Ulla, Russia.

Lisa’s maternal grandmother was Sylvia Ellen Goldvarg (the daughter of Louis Goldvarg and Sarah Silverman). Sylvia was born in Pennsylvania, to Russian Jewish immigrant parents. Louis was from Tiraspol, now Moldova, the son of Moishe Goldvarg and Elke. Sarah was the daughter of Harry M. Silverman and Sophie Grossman, from Siroca.

Sources: Information on the family of Lisa’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Babilas/Babila Orphy/Orphée – http://www.mylhcv.com

Genealogy of Lisa Bonet (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.geni.com

Lisa’s mother on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of Lisa’s maternal grandparents, Eli Litman and Sylvia Ellen Goldvarg – https://familysearch.org

Lisa’s maternal grandfather, Eli Litman, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Lisa’s maternal grandmother, Sylvia Ellen Goldvarg, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Sylvia Ellen Goldvarg on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

17 Responses

  1. Amber Berg says:

    African American and Russian Jew, I love our mix!!!

  2. sheryl says:

    “correction” she has caribbean background and Jewish just like her ex husband lenny I notice that a lot of these site have people of afro-caribbean as black or afrian american unless they have indian or chinse from caribbean then they say west indian i know a lot of stars dont like to claim other than american

  3. FanofTheCosbyShow says:

    When she tells her parents that she isn`t going back to Hillman, when she comes home from Africa, married and has a step-daughter, when she babysits for Elvin and Sondra. Those have to be my favorite episodes of her!

  4. FanofTheCosbyShow says:

    My favorite Huxtable child will have to be… Denise! Lisa`s character always kept me laughing. My favorite episodes of her are when Denise and Vanessa gets into a fight over Denise`s sweater, when Denise gets her driving licence,

  5. meagan says:

    I remember watching The Cosby show like a long while ago and thinking…wow shes very pretty and stuff,I like her look.ITs also cool shes naming her new daughter with a hawaiian name,it will be interesting to see how her and Jason Momoa’s kids will look like when they grow up.

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