Tom Hanks
Hanks in 2014, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Thomas Jeffrey Hanks
Place of Birth: Concord, Contra Costa, California, United States
Date of Birth: July 9, 1956
Ethnicity:
*father – English, some Cornish, more distant German, Scottish, and Welsh
*mother – Portuguese
Tom Hanks is an American actor and filmmaker. He has twice won the Academy Award for Best Actor, for Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994).
Tom is the son of Janet Marylyn (Frager) and Amos Mefford Hanks. Tom is married to actress Rita Wilson. He has four children: two, including actor Colin Hanks, with his former wife, late actress Samantha Lewes (born Susan Jane Dillingham); and actor and musician Chet Hanks and actor Truman Hanks, with Rita. His siblings are Sandra Hanks Benoiton, a writer, Larry Hanks, an entomology professor, and Jim Hanks, an actor and filmmaker. Tom is a convert to the Greek Orthodox church.
Tom’s father was of mostly English, some Cornish, and more distant German, Scottish, and Welsh, ancestry. Some of his father’s antecedents lived on Barbados. Tom’s mother was of entirely Portuguese ancestry, from the Azores Islands. A picture of Tom’s father can be seen here. A picture of Tom’s mother can be seen here.
Tom’s patrilineal line can be traced to Thomas Hanks, who was born, c. 1625, in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, England.
Tom’s paternal grandfather was Ernest Buel/Beauel Hanks (the son of Daniel Boone Hanks and Mary Catherine/Katy/Kate “Molly” Mefford). Ernest was born in Paskenta, Tehama, California. Ernest’s family has lived in the United States for many generations; most of Ernest’s anestry was English, with more distant German roots, along with Scottish, Welsh, and Cornish. Some of his distant ancestors lived on Barbados. Tom’s great-grandfather Daniel was born in Kentucky, the son of Thomas Hanks, Jr. and Rachel J. Rayburn/Cull. Tom’s great-grandmother Mary Catherine was born in Missouri, the daughter of Jacob Mefford and Sarah F. Critchlow.
Tom’s paternal grandmother was Gladys Hilda Ball (the daughter of Amos Ball and Selina Scoble). Gladys was born in Toledo, Tama, Iowa. Amos and Selina were English emigrants. Amos was born in Launceston, Cornwall, the son of Isaac Ball and Mary Clinnick. Selina was born in Kingsbridge, Devon, the daughter of John Dench/Dinch Scoble and Mary Pinkham.
Tom’s maternal grandfather was Clarence Peter Frager (the son of William G. Frager and Frances/Mary Enos). Clarence was born in California. William’s name was originally Manuel Gonsalves Fraga. William’s parents, Francisco “Frank” Gonçalves/Gonsalves Fraga/Frager and Barbara Nancy Silveira/Silveria, were Portuguese emigrants, from the Azores. Tom’s great-grandmother Frances was born in California, to Portuguese parents, Sergio Soares Enos and Maria Perpetua. Her family’s surname was originally Ignacio.
Tom’s maternal grandmother was Elexio Norrine Rose (born under the surname Rosa, the daughter of Emmanuel/Emanuel Rose and Josephine Leonora “Nora” E. A. Borge). Elexio was born in California. Emmanuel was a Portuguese emigrant, from the Azores. His original name was Manuel L. Rosa, Jr. Josephine was born in California, to Portuguese parents.
Hanks (right) with Kevin Kline in 1989, photo credit: Alan Light
Tom is a third cousin, four times removed, of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, and a seventh cousin, once removed, of actor George Clooney. Tom’s paternal six times great-grandparents, John Hanks and Catherine, were also the maternal great-great-grandparents of President Lincoln and the maternal seven times great-grandparents of George Clooney.
Sources: Genealogies of Tom Hanks – http://www.wargs.com
http://www.geni.com
http://famouskin.com
Genealogies of Tom’s parents – http://www.findagrave.com
Tom’s maternal grandmother, Elexio Norrine Rose (“Elexis N Rosa”), on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Tom is a sixth cousin of Fred Rogers, whom he portrays in the film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019).
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tom-hanks-mister-rogers-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood_n_5dd3ec8fe4b0263fbc9ac364
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=166872780
English, more distant German —> English, Cornish, more distant German
If his mother only has ancestry from the Azores I would write “Portuguese/Azorean”. Regardless, he should be tagged as “Azorean”.
Are Azoreans different ethnically from “regular” Portuguese people?
To combat accusations that they were only letting “white people” into their party, a fraternity claimed the brothers at the door were “black, Portuguese, and Costa Rican.”
Quote from article below:
He claimed that several students said that a woman who was denied entry became angry and shouted, “It’s because I’m black, isn’t it?” – a statement that made the brothers at the door uncomfortable because they were black, Portuguese and Costa Rican. This report of the incident differs from Petros-Gouin’s, who identified the offending frat brother as white.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/11/03/students-accuse-yale-sae-fraternity-brother-of-having-a-white-girls-only-party-tweet/
Hey, it looks like one of the most famous “white” actors in the U.S. has actually been “passing for white.” I want to go on a talk show and be the presenter of this information. I’m not joking either. I figured I would continue to stir the pot since all people seem to talk about on here is “whiteness.”
On here and everywhere else, I mean.