Rita Hayworth
photo credit: Ballistik Coffee Boy
Birth Name: Margarita Carmen Cansino
Date of Birth: October 17, 1918
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Death: May 14, 1987
Place of Death: New York City, New York, U.S.
Ethnicity:
*father – Spanish [Andalusian]
*mother – Irish, smaller amounts of English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Czech [Bohemian], Dutch, and German
Rita Hayworth was an American actress and dancer.
Her father, Eduardo Cansino Reina, was a Spanish flamenco dancer, from Castilleja de la Cuesta, Andalusia, Spain.
Her mother, Volga Margaret (Hayworth), was of at least half Irish descent, with her other roots being English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Czech [Bohemian], Dutch, and German.
Rita had two children, a daughter with her former husband, actor and filmmaker Orson Welles; and a daughter, philanthropist Yasmin Aga Khan, with her former husband, Prince Aly Khan. Her nephew is actor Richard Cansino.
Rita’s father was said to have Sephardi Jewish ancestry to some degree. It is not clear if this Sephardi Jewish ancestry has been verified/documented. Many people of Spanish origin have Sephardi roots, and many people with the surname Cansino are of Jewish heritage. Rita is also sometimes described as having had Romani ancestry, without any particular evidence.
Rita’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced back to her sixth great-grandfather, Juan Cansino [Pérez], who was likely from Carmona, Seville.
Rita’s paternal grandfather was Juan Antonio Anselmo de los Dolores Cansino Avecilla (the son of Joaquín Cansino Espinal and María del Rosario Avecilla Ojeda). Juan was born in Paradas, Seville, Andalusia, Spain. Joaquín was the son of Vicente Cansino Hoyos and Clara Espinal. María del Rosario was the daughter of Miguel Avecilla and Bárbara Ojeda.
Rita’s paternal grandmother was Carmen Reina Montero (the daughter of José Reina Sánchez and Reyes Montero Espinal). José was the son of José Reina Calderón and Juana Sánchez. Rita’s great-great-grandfather José’s maternal great-grandfather, Cristóbal Elías Calderón Barrionuevo y de Orbaneja, was a Knight of the Order of Santiago. Rita’s great-grandmother Reyes was the daughter of Antonio Montero and Dolores Espinal.
Rita’s maternal grandfather was Allynn Duran Hayworth (the son of Barnabas L. Hayworth and Sarah Abigail Hunt). Allynn was born in Indiana. Barnabas was the son of Jeremiah Hayworth/Haworth and Elizabeth Cartwright. Sarah was the daughter of Nathan Hunt and Nancy Teague.
Rita’s maternal grandmother was Margaret Ellen O’Hare (the daughter of Patrick O’Hare and Bridget Magdalene Hennessy). Margaret was born in Washington, D.C., to Irish parents.
Sources: Notes on Rita’s mother’s ancestry – http://www.haworthassociation.org
Genealogies of Rita Hayworth – https://www.wikitree.com
https://familysearch.org
Genealogies of Rita Hayworth (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.findagrave.com
https://www.geni.com
Rita’s mother on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1253
She is also sometimes described as having Romani ancestry.
Any ideas?
Well..well..well..wait a minut,U are talking about gypsy and sephardi,but all this things are not proved…or better supposed. But i wanna rise a NEW question. What about that Sara A.Peri with that italian Surname? Queite impossible since there was really few italian especially in indiana at those times…i really research a loto about it,i don’t think Rita had a drop of italian blood… What do U think people? Thank U for Your help! :-)
All Spaniards have some Italian blood. Spain as a country is a legacy of the Roman Empire. They gave us their language very similar to Italian, his Catholic religion and blood. Many soldiers of the legions of Rome chose to retire to Spain after finishing their stay in the army. So Italians and Spaniards are very similar in physical appearance and culture.
To say that Rita had Jewish ancestors is completely absurd . The family of her father was 100 percent Spanish Catholics . Please rectify it.
A lot of Spaniards have Jewish ancestry. Rita was raised Catholic, but it is possible that she had an ancestor somewhere in there who was Sephardi Jewish.
Get over it, you anti-Semite!
Many Spaniards have Roman ancestors. Many Spaniards have German ancestors. Many Spaniards have Muslim ancestors. Because we do not write that Rita could have ancestors Muslims, Italians, Germans …?. Your historical argument is completely absurd.
It looks as if her father was related to a man who had a Sephardi Jewish ancestor. That is why it says that she possibly has some Sephardi Jewish ancestry. Rita’s father’s family was Catholic, though.
Yes, it is true that many Spaniards have all sorts of different ancestry.
you think Rita’s father is Jewish because he looks like a Jew. That theory has is of scientific certainty … ZERO. I look like English but I am one hundred percent spaniard. You should be serious in your comments.
Now you’re just talking crazy.
I don’t think Rita’s father is Jewish because of his looks. In fact, I have never seen a picture of the man.
Furthermore, even if he does have an identifiable Sephardi Jewish ancestor, that does not make him just Jewish. As I said, plenty of Spaniards have Sephardi Jewish ancestry. It’s part of their history and makeup.
I don’t see why you have such a problem with it. No one is saying Rita’s father wasn’t Spanish.
I have no problem with Jewish heritage in Spain. I know that many Spaniards have that heritage. I’m just saying that there is no evidence that the father of Rita was Jewish. Famous Spanish characters were Jews, such as for example … Cervantes and St. Teresa of Jesus. But the father of Rita … NO.
Rita Hayworth was likely a Crypto-Jew. I have no evidence of her being ethnically Jewish, but there are major clues that can be taken into consideration.
Her surname was “Cansino”, which is a Spanish-Jewish surname. Here’s the link below to prove it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cansino_family
That Jewish family “Cansino” that you have put in this link is a family of northern Africa, it was NOT a Spanish family. The “Cansino” name is a Spanish word that means “slow or heavy”. Many Spanish families have that name and they have nothing to do with the Jews. Rita’s father was deeply Catholic and he married an Irish Catholic because she was too. His theory is completely absurd.
Take a chill pill