Nick Jonas
Jonas in 2011, Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Nicholas Jerry Jonas
Place of Birth: Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 16, 1992
Ethnicity: Irish, German, English, Scottish, Italian/Sicilian, French-Canadian, possibly other
Nick Jonas is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and producer. He is a member of the band The Jonas Brothers, with his siblings Kevin Jonas and Joe Jonas. He has also led the band Nick Jonas & the Administration. His acting roles include the films Camp Rock, Careful What You Wish For, Goat, the Jumanji franchise, Midway, and Chaos Walking, and the shows Jonas, Kingdom, and Scream Queens.
Nick is the son of Denise (Miller), a singer and sign language teacher, and Paul Kevin Jonas, a songwriter and musician, who was an ordained Assemblies of God minister. Also among his siblings is actor Frankie Jonas. He was raised mostly in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Nick is married to Indian actress, film producer, singer, and philanthropist Priyanka Chopra, with whom he has a daughter.
Nick’s father, who is from a family from the American South, has German, English, and Scottish ancestry. Nick’s mother, who is from the New Jersey area, has Irish, as well as Italian/Sicilian and French-Canadian, ancestry.
The Jonas Brothers have also stated that they have Cherokee Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented.
Nick is related to congressmen Charles A. Jonas (1876-1955), and Charles’s son, Charles R. Jonas (1904-1988), both of North Carolina. Nick descends from the same Jonas line.
It is not publicly known who Nick’s biological paternal grandfather is.
Nick’s paternal grandmother, now Cecilia Lucas, was born under the name Cecilla/Cecilia Paulette Jonas (the daughter of Paul Adam Jonas and Nellie May/Mae Fox). Cecilia was born in North Carolina. Paul was the son of Henry Walter Jonas and Nora Lee/Leigh Campbell. Nellie was the daughter of Nathan/Walter Henry Fox and Elizabeth/Lizzie Mae Hamilton. Through the Jonas line, Nick is descended from German immigrants to the United States in the 1700s.
Nick’s maternal grandfather was Gerald “Jerry” Miller (the son of Henry J. Miller and Agnes Marie Carroll). Gerald was born in The Bronx, New York. Henry was the son of Henry J. Miller and Anna Kelly, who was of Irish origin. Agnes was born in New York, to Irish parents, Michael Carroll and Bridget/Bridgette Lyons.
Nick’s maternal grandmother is Frances Madonia (the daughter of Fortunato Angelo “Frank” Madonia and Margaret Anna Berard). Fortunato was born in New York, the son of Angelo Madonia and Maria Chimero, who were of Italian descent, with Maria’s family being from Sicily. Margaret was born in Bennington, Vemont, the daughter of Milton Dewey Berard and Anna Mary/Rose Ducharme, who were of French-Canadian ancestry.
Sources: Genealogy of Nick Jonas – https://www.geni.com
Information on Nick’s paternal great-grandfather, Paul Adam Jonas – http://www.findagrave.com
Obituary of Nick’s paternal great-grandmother, Nellie May/Mae (Fox) Jonas – http://www.legacy.com
Death record of Nick’s maternal great-grandfather, Henry J. Miller – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Nick’s maternal great-grandmother, Agnes Marie (Carroll) Lee – https://www.newspapers.com
Why doesn’t his ethnicity say possibly other? his paternal grandfather could be Japanese, Sephardic, Norwegian, or Mexican for all we know
You mean maternal maybe? His surname was Miller, he was from The Bronx hence Jewish is an option too.
Hi Andrew. I thought I meant paternal? in the profile it says, “It is not publicly known who Nick’s biological paternal grandfather is.”
but you’re right we don’t know Gerald Miller’s parents yet
Wherever have you heard of “Miller” being a Jewish name? He is rather strongly Cholo looking, so he has to be of Aztec or Mayan origins. Look at his nose! That’s not a European nose. Neither are his eyes nor lips. So why is this boy passing himself as “White”?? He’s Mexican dominant.
I wonder if anyone can find more information about his maternal grandfather Gerald Miller (b. 1940 in The Bronx). Neither his obituary nor his sister’s mentions their parents.
Since they were such strong Catholics, maybe they had Italian ancestry, too.
https://www.recordonline.com/article/20140201/NEWS0301/302019995
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/marinij/obituary.aspx?n=marguerite-a-mueller&pid=180930235&fhid=24159
From what I gather he has one more surviving sister, Kathleen Miller Hanretta of Cornwall, NY, previously of Newburgh, NY. She’s also mentioned as a step-sister of late Jacquelyn Cromwell. Jacquelyn was the daughter of Albert Lee and Beatrice Seward. Albert was also married to Lucille Buchanan/West. That’s as far as I got.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54571272/obituary-for-agnes-marie-lee-aged-74/
Nick’s maternal grandfather was named Gerald “Jerry” Miller (the son of Henry J. Miller and Agnes Marie Carroll). Gerald was born in The Bronx, New York. Henry was the son of Henry J. Miller and Anna Kelly. Agnes was born in New York, to Irish parents, Michael Carroll and Bridget/Bridgette Lyons.
Since Kelly is also an Irish last name, I guess his grandfather was mostly Irish.
Thank you.
What is it with so many white American celebrities (actors and singers alike) claiming Cherokee NA ancestry? I cant be the only that finds that weird or kind of wrong if there is no proof. I think they just want to have the right to say I might be white but I have every right to this land.
You forgot to mention the large amount of African Americans who claim Native ancestry, people of them can be found on this site. Celebrities like the Jacksons, Beyonce, Andre 3000, Stedman Graham, Monica, T-Boz and Chilli (of TLC), Ludacris, Diana Ross, Cissy & Whitney Houston and others have said or are said to have Native heritage, but it is unverified. Joe Jackson (father of the Jackson family including Michael & Janet) wrote in his book about his supposed Native American ancestors http://jetzi-mjvideo.com/books-jetzi-02/04joej/04joej01.html
@savanna Most of the Americans I’ve encountered that claimed false Cherokee ancestry were white americans.
All of you “Whites” Americans who claim “Navajo, Cherokee, Sioux” etc, you’re all Mexicans. There is no difference between a Mayan and a Cherokee or an Aztec and a Nez Perce or Lakota: all “Indians”. Some of those are hispanophones and the others are anglophones. You don’t call the Cherokees “English” or “British” so why call the Mexican ones “Spanish” when all they are is speakers of the language of Spain, a White country with White peoples of Europe?
It baffles the mind!
He kinda reminds me of Nolan Gould (the kid from Modern Family).
The ethnicity should note “unclear biological paternal grandfather”.
There are many people who have a grandparent (or parent) whose background I don’t know anything about.
Presumably, the Jonas Brothers do know, and were comprehensive when they listed off their various ancestry groups.
the article doesn’t even mention that one of their grandparents is completely unknown. their father doesn’t even have his biological father’s last name.
how do we know if the Jonas Brothers didn’t ignore that part (25%) of their ancestry?
I made a note about their paternal grandfather. You’re right that it’s relevant to mention, though not in the bolded summary.
For the record, I don’t know anything about the genealogy of the Jonas brothers’ maternal grandfather, either.
Thank you