Ryan Phillippe

Phillippe in 2008, Photo by PRPhotos

Birth Name: Matthew Ryan Phillippe

Place of Birth: New Castle, Delaware, U.S.

Date of Birth: September 10, 1974

Ethnicity: English, smaller amount of German [including Alsatian German], distant Scottish and Swiss-German

Ryan Phillippe is an American actor, director, writer, and producer. His roles include the films Crimson Tide, White Squall, I Know What You Did Last Summer, 54, Playing by Heart, Cruel Intentions, The Way of the Gun, Antitrust, Gosford Park, Igby Goes Down, The I Inside, Crash (2004), Flags of Our Fathers, Breach, Stop-Loss, MacGruber, The Bang Bang Club, The Lincoln Lawyer, Wish Upon, Lady of the Manor, and Miranda’s Victim, and television’s One Life to Live, Shooter, and, again, MacGruber. He directed and co-wrote the film Catch Hell.

Ryan is the son of Susan, who ran a day care center from the family’s house, and Richard Phillippe, a chemist. He has two children with his former wife, actress and producer Reese Witherspoon; and a daughter with his former partner, actress and singer Alexis Knapp.

While some may assume that his surname indicates a French origin, in Ryan’s case, the name was spelled Phillippi several generations back. Ryan’s patrilineal great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Johannes/Johann Adam Phillippi, was an ethnic German emigrant, who was born, c. 1728, in Volksberg, Alsace, and the surname traces back to Switzerland before that. Johannes was the son of Johannes Georg Phillippi and Maria Christina Cleiss; his wife, Ryan’s five times great-grandmother, Maria Eva Barbara Eichelberger, was also of German descent.

Ryan’s paternal grandfather was Furman Dale Phillippi/Phillippe (the son of Samuel David Phillippi and Pearl Loretta Gentry). Furman was born in Tennessee. Samuel was the son of Andrew James Phillippi and Sophia C. Cress. Pearl was the daughter of Robert Phillip Gentry and Mary Loretta Cress.

Ryan’s paternal grandmother was Eunettia Amelia Hash (the daughter of Carl Hash and Rose A. Dool/Pool/Poole). Eunettia was born in Pennsylvania. Carl was the son of Orville H. Hash and Amelia Rutherford. Rose was the daughter of George Powell Pool/Poole and Almeda Jeannette/Nettie Carico. Almeda may have had distant French Huguenot ancestry, as the Carrico/Carricoe family in the United States is said to originate with French Huguenot ancestors in the 1600s.

Ryan’s maternal grandfather was Robert B. Thomas, Sr. (the son of Joseph Francis Thomas and Jennie Smith). Robert was born in Delaware. Joseph was the son of John Thomas and Mary. Jennie was the daughter of Thomas Smith.

Ryan’s maternal grandmother was Eva Selina Cockerill (the daughter of George Cockerill and Clara Stevens). Eva was born in Delaware. George was born in Walsall, Staffordshire, England, the son of William Cockerill and Jane Thomas. Clara was the daughter of parents who were born in Sussex, England, George W. Stevens and Ada Ann Warnett. Ada was the daughter of Phillip Warnett and Jane Fausett.

Sources: Genealogy of Ryan Phillippe – https://www.wikitree.com

Genealogy of Ryan Phillippe (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Ryan’s paternal grandfather, Furman Dale Phillippi/Phillippe, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Ryan’s paternal grandmother, Eunettia Amelia Hash, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Ryan’s maternal grandfather, Robert B. Thomas, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Ryan’s maternal grandmother, Eva Selina (Cockerill) Thomas – http://www.mccreryandharra.com