Paul Ryan

official U.S. Congress photo of Paul Ryan, c. 2012

Birth Name: Paul Davis Ryan

Place of Birth: Janesville, Wisconsin, U.S.

Date of Birth: January 29, 1970

Ethnicity:
*50% Irish
*37.5% German
*12.5% English [with possibly some Scottish]

Paul Ryan is an American politician. A Republican, he has served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin, from January 3, 1999 to January 3, 2019, and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Leader of the House Republican Conference, both, from October 29, 2015 to January 3, 2019. He was also Chair of the House Budget Committee, from January 3, 2011 to January 3, 2015, and Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, from January 3, 2015 to October 29, 2015.

He was the Republican Party’s nominee for Vice President of the United States in 2012.

Speaker Ryan is the son of Elizabeth Ann “Betty” (Hutter) and Paul Murray Ryan, a lawyer. His father was of Irish descent. His maternal grandfather was of German ancestry, and his maternal grandmother was of English and German descent.

Speaker Ryan is married to tax attorney Janna Little, with whom he has three children. Janna’s sister is married to the brother of the husband of attorney Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Speaker Ryan is thus far the only person who is younger than a baby boomer to have been nominated for President or Vice President of the United States by a major political party.

A DNA test taken by the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2019) stated that Paul’s genetic ancestry is:

*61% Irish/Scottish/Welsh
*15% Scandinavian
*9% Eastern European
*7% Southern European
*3% Ashkenazi Jewish
*2% Western European
*1% Iberian
*1% Middle Eastern
*1% Caucasus

Speaker Ryan’s paternal grandfather was Stanley Martin Ryan (the son of Patrick William Ryan and Maria H. Murphy). Stanley was born in Wisconsin, and was a U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. Patrick and Maria H. were born in Wisconsin, and all of their own parents were Irish. Patrick was the son of James J. Ryan, from County Kilkenny, and of Catherine M. O’Shea or Connelly, from Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny. Patrick founded an earthmoving company in 1884, which later became P. W. Ryan and Sons, now known as Ryan Incorporated Central. Speaker Ryan’s great-grandmother Maria H. was the daughter of Patrick Murphy and Maria.

Speaker Ryan’s paternal grandmother was Edith Irene McCarthy (the daughter of Daniel D. McCarty/McCarthy and Elizabeth Murray). Edith was born in Michigan or Wisconsin. Daniel was born in Wisconsin, to parents from Cork, Ireland, Dennis McCarty and Margaret/Margaretha Tobin. Elizabeth was also born in Wisconsin, also to Irish parents, Thomas Murray and Mary.

Speaker Ryan’s maternal grandfather was Adolph Mathias/Matthew Hutter (the son of Joseph Hutter, Jr. and Anna Kathryn Walgenbach). Adolph was born in Wisconsin. Joseph was born in Wisconsin, to Bavarian German parents, Joseph Hutter, Sr., from Hochabrunn, Waldmünchen, and Barbara Pronold/Pronolt. Anna was born in Wisconsin, also to German parents, Mathias Walgenbach and Francisca/Frances Rehling.

Speaker Ryan’s maternal grandmother was Janet Helen Kay (the daughter of James Edward Kay and Emma Pauline Fink). Janet was born in Kansas. James was born in Kansas, to English parents, Adam Taylor Kay and Jennette/Janet Larrson; his father was from Radcliffe, Lancashire, England, and one of James’s grandfathers may have been Scottish. Emma was born in Michigan, to German parents, from Wittenberg, Gottleib Fink and Wilhelmina Pauline “Minnie” Sipher.

Sources: Genealogies of Speaker Paul Ryan – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
http://www.geni.com