Olivia Culpo

2nd Annual American Giving Awards - Arrivals

Culpo in 2012, image by PR Photos

Birth Name: Olivia Frances Culpo

Place of Birth: Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S.

Date of Birth: May 8, 1992

Ethnicity:
*75% Italian
*25% Irish

Olivia Culpo is an American model, actress, television presenter, influencer, beauty queen, and cellist. She won Miss Rhode Island USA, Miss USA 2012, and Miss Universe 2012.

Olivia is the daughter of Susan and Peter Culpo. Her father is of Italian descent. Her mother is of Irish and Italian ancestry. She was raised in Cranston’s Edgewood neighborhood.

Olivia’s paternal grandfather was John A. Culpo (the son of Antonio Pietro/Peter J. Culpo and Emilia Formento). John was born in Massachusetts. Antonio was born in Selva di Trissino, Province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy.

Olivia’s paternal grandmother is Madeline C. Cantarella (the daughter of John L. Cantarella and Eliza “Alice” Passerini). John was born in Scurzolengo, Piedmont, Italy, the son of Earnest Cantarella and Maddalena/Madaline Borello. Eliza was born in Arco Grotta, Province of Trento, Italy, the daughter of Antonio Passerini and Domenica Donegani.

Olivia’s maternal grandfather was Andrew Curran (the son of Francis/Frank Curran and Katherine Campbell). Francis was the son of John Curran, who was born in Prince Edward Island, Canada, to Irish parents, and of Jane O’Halleran.

Olivia’s maternal grandmother is Aurora Spadea (the daughter of Agostino Spadea and Assunta Matilda Procopio). Agostino and Assunta were from Gasperina, Province of Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy. Agostino was the son of Antonio Spadea and Marianna Caruso. Assunta was the daughter of Salvatore Procopio and Serafina Caruso.

Sources: Mention of Olivia’s ancestry – http://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it

Obituary of Olivia’s paternal grandfather, John A. Culpo – http://www.iberkshires.com

Passenger record of Olivia’s paternal great-grandfather, John L. Cantarella – https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org

Olivia’s paternal great-grandfather, John L. Cantarella, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Olivia’s paternal great-great-grandmother, Maddalena/Madaline (Borello) Cantarella – https://www.findagrave.com

Obituary of Olivia’s paternal great-grandmother, Eliza “Alice” (Passerini) Cantarella – https://obittree.com

Obituary of Olivia’s paternal great-great-aunt (great-grandmother’s sister) – http://www.legacy.com

Information about Olivia’s maternal grandmother, Aurora Spadea’s, family – https://www.italiangenealogy.com

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

70 Responses

  1. BellaTrainer says:

    BTW, her Irish side has just been quoted as saying she gets her looks from the Italian side. As for the ignorant one, claiming she looks Mexican…Italians may be mixed with a lot of things but Mexican isn’t one of them. How about Irish? I LOVE (read:sarcasm) how people deny a persons TRUE ethnicity(s) because of their own ignorance. CoolGuy, I’m looking at you…

    • COOLGUY2012 says:

      Indeed, my friend, italians only mix with other europeans, thats why i am so astonished. I have never seen italians looking like that, maybe some southerners or only being born northern italians, but that look is indeed exotic (its embarrasing to her saying she got the look from the italian side, considering italians used to be fairest people along with vikings). If she looks like that, definitely its not full irish or italian, something hidden absolutely.

      • COOLGUY2012 says:

        Indeed, altough only Monica Bellucci is real italian (Loren and furthermore Ferlito looks no way 100% italian). But we could say Carla Bruni, Ilary Blasi (only full italians of these ones), Beverly Dangelo, Linda Evangelista, Kaley Cuoco, Patti Scialfa, Eva Amurri, Campanella look italian, much more closer to italian average than the ones above you mentioned.

        • BellaTrainer says:

          “Real Italian”…you mean born in Italy? Monica is from Umbria, same as Sara Tommasi. Pamela Butt (real name is Adriana Vailatti) is Brazilian of Italian descent (not uncommon).

      • BellaTrainer says:

        @ collguy…please do me a favor, as your ignorant of Italians. Italy is a country that is fair skinned to dark. Sweden/France etc mix with the northerners and Greece etc with the southerners. It’s no different then any other country. Go to Mexico, you will have light and dark skin. Pia Toscano. Giorgia Palmas. Sara Tommasi etc. If you did a little research, you might not come off as so uninformed.

        • COOLGUY2012 says:

          I know pretty much everything i said, i know people from sicily or calabria (darkest areas) to veneto and friuli (lighest areas). Exotic girls are found mostly in southern italy, that doesnt mean they are typical or fit, just that they were the result of ancient years of outsider invasion.

          • BellaTrainer says:

            @ COOLGUY: “they were the result of ancient years of outsider invasion”…no sh*t. Welcome to the world, that is EVERYONES story. Pick up a history book and read. Manuela Arcuri, Francesca Chillemi, Federica Ridolfi, Sara Varone. I do not want to be harsh with you, but I do not appreciate misinformation. It only breeds more ignorance, something that this site is attempting to do away with

        • COOLGUY2012 says:

          I dont wanna put in evidence that you should know some stuff about roman empire. Slaves came in thousands and italics or romans mix in some degree with them (mostly southern italy), thats you see in these days really exotic girls. Italics, celtics and germanics were indoeuropean groups, altough northern italians and most of central ones are the best examples of those italics and celtics. Being born by not ethnic italians is really old (this is ancient), ethnic italians or romans are the real ones, nothing to do with those exotic girls.

          • BellaTrainer says:

            @ COOLGUY…Dear. Where do I start ? lol. I can tell you one thing, if these “exotic girls” are not Italian…then nobody else can claim an ethnicity either. We were all conquered, we are all mixed. It does not change what we are. No different then any other culture, you don’t understand this. It’s basic and has nothing to do with ancient conquests. Italians are Italians. Who do you think you are? Really. Pia, Sara etc are REAL ITALIANS.

        • COOLGUY2012 says:

          MMM, BellaTrainer, its funny that you claim about culture and feeling italian stuff (and the ethnicity is almost useless; by your logic Balotelli is indeed italian), when the people you claim to be real italians arent italians by culture, but because of “ethnicity” (contradicting what you are saying at first). Another huge mistake is to compare an european (southern/central europe) country as Italy with Mexico, considering native mexicans are aztecs and native italians are from celtics and italics (central european people).

          • BellaTrainer says:

            I never compared Mexicans to Italians…I was pointing out that YOU did. I will not let that rest because it was YOU who brought it up. YOU are contradicting yourself right now. Keep going. Your the same guy who posted that Aly Michalka had black features.

          • COOLGUY2012 says:

            Well, i would never say i am not croatian, because i was born in Croatia, but i am ethnic italian. There are lots of people pretty much unassimilated and 70-80% of us have dark brown to light blonde and some platinium blonde (altough i am not one of them, only dirty blonde) and maybe 80% of us have light eyes. Saying Culpo doesnt look italian, doesnt mean i am saying she is not italian.

        • COOLGUY2012 says:

          A few italian girls like Olivia Culpo are in Italy. I never said italians and mexicans are the same, but the opposite: if an italian girl could resemble some mexicans is because she isnt full italian at all neither irish (who are paler than italians) (another ancestry indeed). Italy is the lighest country of southern europe, and what you said was Italy has light and dark people, what isnt accurate, because Italy has fair people and a minority is olive skinned (in the north light eyes is almost 50%).

          • BellaTrainer says:

            You should meet my family and many Italian families I know, personally. We all have dark hair, mostly brown eyes. Now, a few have green eyes, a trait that is common, many amongst Sicilians. I am the lightest
            amongst them and my hair is nearly black and my skin is more olive then most of my hispanic friends. To call exotic Italians un exotic, or un Italian is denying our heritage. I am full blood Italian/Sicilian American, am I still mixed? Yes. Does that mean I’m not Italian? No. Do I know about the Roman Empire? Yes. Does every other “people” have a smilier backstory? Yes. So, what is your point? You seem to be chasing your tail. Italians are mixed, like everyone else and that is beauty in my opinion. Who are you to tell Ms Culpo, or myself we are not Italian/Sicilian? I can most surely tell you, you would never speak this nonsense if you weren’t behind a computer screen. I know my family is from the Sicilian country side and I have seen my families photos from generations ago. So, what are you trying to accomplish? I’ve already referenced mixing, particularly
            NON ANCIENT lol…ie more modern mixing.

          • COOLGUY2012 says:

            I know romans (as an ethnicity) are gone(altough there are still a lot of roman descendants in Italy: Totti, De Rossi, Budel, Marchisio, etc.), i said she doesnt look typical, but exotic. You think french people feel french when they watch France playing soccer matches?. I wouldnt like to be in Croatia and see people with different features than mine. It doesnt work that way. Diversity is good at some extent.

          • COOLGUY2012 says:

            Colin Farrell and O`Brien are in the same spectrum, being Farrell atlanto med and O`brien brunn. I am pretty sure you know how romans were (some alpine/nordic/med/some borreby variety) and the features of roman emperors and ethnic romans (patricians and after them, the originally citizens), thats how one can be pretty close to classify (those players are not the same, but they are in the roman espectrum, as you fine point it out about farrell and o`brien). Another examples can be in Facinelli, Nero, Terrence Hill, Montana, Crenna, all full italians, if i am not mistaken. I never said i didnt like Culpo, but she wouldnt be the common girl i see in streets of Campania or Basilicata or Puglia.

          • COOLGUY2012 says:

            I dont think someone can trace ancient ancestry (it would be impossible), so we can get support from phenotypes, its the most accurate, altough not perfect. I didnt know Terrence Hill was only half italian, but about Ferlito, you can know she is full italian from born italians, but not ethnic ones (at least not one of them), because we are talking here about phenotypes, not culture (something i respect but its excluded in this moment) or something related. BellaTrainer, now its me talking to you.

          • COOLGUY2012 says:

            Phenotypes is based in genetics you know?, why then when an asian has a kid with a white person, it comes a light featured person with in some cases, asian features or look pure white? Because there is a white or there is an asian (or maybe he or she resembles her great maternal grandparent or grandparent). If phenotypes were pure blah, then when two blacks have kids, the baby could be white, but its almost impossible.

      • COOLGUY2012 says:

        In some way you are right, but i quoted (the only full italians of these ones), because you mentioned some non full italians, only part italians (Ferlito definitely is non full italian). Bruni is at least 75% italian (his biological father is italian brazilian and her mother is half italian), pan italian type. Loren is probably tanned and maybe could pass in parts of southern italy, altough i have never argued she looked sexy in her youth.

        • BellaTrainer says:

          @ Follers…I agree with you. Unfortunately, “CoolGuy” has an “honesty” problem. What makes the ignorance worse, he won’t admit to anything. lol

      • BellaTrainer says:

        Yes, I knew what Olivia was wayyy before I googled her. If there was a stereotype, she would fit the mold. Now, Pia Toscano…stereotypical southern Italian.

      • COOLGUY2012 says:

        Brunis father is named Remmert (italian brazilian, the last name probably is non italian, but there is no evidence of another ancestry). You can look for italian inmigration in USA and easily know that mostly southerners went to Italy (mostly sicily and calabria, darkest italian regions). Bellabamba, Balti, Fontana, Blasi look like average italian. In Argentina (mostly central and northern italian descent), those girls you mentioned wouldnt be italians that much. I put south-central-north differences because Italy is the most diverse european country (because there was some n.a. and greek in sicily and calabria and in lower amounts in other southern regions)

  2. BellaTrainer says:

    Terrible picture of her but she is stunning, Miss Universe. She looks like an Italian American, wish her well.

  3. me says:

    she looks hispanic

    • Angela says:

      But Culpo is a italian surname, mostly common in northern Italy.
      I think she looks italian, but thats only my opinion.

    • BellaTrainer says:

      Your pretty ignorant. Italians can be very olive and darker complected. She is 3/4 Italian and certainly looks it. Not everyone with dark hair and skin is Hispanic…Pia Toscano is full blood Italian and even darker and more exotic looking.

      • COOLGUY2012 says:

        She looks not even typical in southern italy, northern italians have italic blood and some southerners look greek, but she looks mixed.

        • BellaTrainer says:

          @follers…she looks mixed, also because Italians ARE mixed. Between northern, central and southern. Spanish, Greek, Sardinian, etc. Italians are some of the
          most mixed peoples in Europe. Her parents are both Italian, and there is a high likelihood that they are not the same type of Italian. Her own family admits her looks came from the Italian side. It is not uncommon for one ethnicity to get lost in the dominant one. Although, Europeans are all one big mixture. Remember, Italians are technically the original Latins. The original Latins were an Italic Tribe inhabiting Central and Southern Italy…

        • COOLGUY2012 says:

          She looks mixed with mexican or something. I havent seen any irish or italian looking like that, except maybe she has north african descent some southern italians had because of the roman empire slavery.

        • COOLGUY2012 says:

          Well you made your point, the two look similar. however miss ireland would be even 90 or 100% exotic in ireland and culpo would be maybe only not that rare in sicily or calabria. And lets remember being born and ethnic are different things.

        • COOLGUY2012 says:

          MMM, i am not sure about Maguire being full ethnic irish. But i think that at least in pigmentation Maguire is a bit lighter than Culpo, and has less gracile med features (she could be indeed atlanto med). Shani Hazan is prettier than Culpo and Maguire indeed, and hot too.

        • me says:

          This girl who has portuguese,african and amerindian heritage looks like this Miss Israel
          http://ofuxico.terra.com.br/img/upload/noticias/2012/12/05/156014_36.jpg

      • me says:

        it seems that you continue with this obsession. I did not say that she looks hispanic because she has dark hair and dark skin.Giuliana Rancic is much darker than her, and looks very Italian.

    • nnnnn says:

      “she looks hyspanic”… Oh, g.. all south people look
      “hyspanic”. Salma Hayek always plays latinas

  4. anen87 says:

    She looks like Victoria Justice. They only have the Irish in common though.

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