Ted Danson

Danson in 2006, photo by s_bukley/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Edward Bridge Danson III

Place of Birth: San Diego, California, United States

Date of Birth: December 29, 1947

Ethnicity: English, Scottish, Irish, Northern Irish/Scots-Irish, more distant German

Ted Danson is an American actor, writer, and producer. He is known for starring on the shows Cheers, Becker, as D.B., on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: Cyber, The Good Place, and Damages, and for his roles in the films Creepshow, Three Men and a Baby, and its sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady, among other works.

Ted is the son of Jessica Harriet and Edward Bridge Danson, Jr., who was an archaeologist and director of the Museum of Northern Arizona, from 1959 to 1975. Ted was raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the time, and also attended school in Connecticut. He is married to actress Mary Steenburgen. He has two children with his former wife, producer Cassandra “Casey” Coates. His daughter, Kate Danson, is married to television producer and director Jesse Bochco, the son of television producer and writer Steven Bochco.

Ted’s paternal grandfather was Edward Bridge Danson (the son of Richard Danson and Frances “Fanny” Hickson). Edward was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England. Richard was the son of Edward Danson and Margaret Duckworth. Frances was the daughter of William Hickson and Elizabeth “Betsey” Mitchell.

Ted’s paternal grandmother was Anna/Ann Louise Allen (the daughter of William Mercer Allen and Virginia Reakirt Thompson). Anna was born in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio. William was the son of parents from Connecticut, Thomas Humphrey Cushing Allen, from New London, and Jane Deverdier “Jennie” Woodruff, from Hartford. Virginia was the daughter of Moses Franklin Thompson and Anna Maria Reakirt.

Ted’s maternal grandfather was James Eric MacMaster (the son of Peter MacMaster and Jessie Caldwell Ralston). James was born in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota. Peter was born in Barr, Ayrshire, Scotland, the son of John MacMaster and Grace Gibson, who was born in Glenluce, Wigtownshire. Jessie was born in Stafford, Staffordshire, England, the daughter of parents from Wigtownshire, Scotland, Niven Ralston, who was born in Stoneykirk, and Jessie, who was born in Glenluce.

Ted’s maternal grandmother was Mary Lucile/Lucille Johnston/Johnstone (the daughter of Calvin Knox Johnston and Harriet Emma Brace). Mary was born in Spokane, Spokane Co., Washington. Calvin was the son of Samuel Power Johnston and Eleanor Margaret “Ellen” Thompson. Ted’s great-grandmother Harriet was born in Wingham, Huron, Ontario, Canada, the daughter of Lewis John Brace, who was born in Goderich, Huron, and of Mary Jane Gibson, who was born in either England or Dublin, Ireland. Her parents, Patrick Gibson and Barbara Padden/Padan/Laten, were Irish.

A DNA test on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2017) found that Ted has a common ancestor with comedian and show host Stephen Colbert.

Sources: Genealogies of Ted Danson – http://www.wargs.com
http://famouskin.com
https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Ted Danson (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com

Genealogy of Ted’s father – https://www.findagrave.com

Ted’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org