Tucker Carlson

Birth Name: Tucker McNear Carlson

Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, United States

Date of Birth: May 16, 1969

Ethnicity: Swedish (one quarter), English, German, Scottish, Irish, 1/16th Swiss-Italian, about 1/16th Portuguese, distant Dutch

Tucker Carlson is an American far-right television presenter, political commentator, author, columnist, and conspiracy theorist. He was a co-host of the debate show Crossfire on CNN, from 2001 to 2005, the host of the debate show Tucker on MSNBC, from 2005 to 2008, and the host of the show Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, from 2016 to 2023.

Tucker is the son of Lisa McNear (Lombardi) and Dick Carlson. His father was a news anchor, reporter, president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and director of Voice of America, who served as Director of the U.S. Information Agency, from March 1, 1985 to November 10, 1986, and U.S. Ambassador to Seychelles, from October 1, 1991 to July 5, 1992. Tucker is married to Susan Andrews, with whom he has four children.

His parents divorced when he was a child, and his father was granted custody while his mother moved to France. His name was changed to Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson, adding Swanson for his stepmother, Patricia Caroline Swanson. Patricia was the daughter of Gilbert Carl Swanson and Roberta Empson Fulbright. Her grandfather was Carl A. Swanson, founder of Swanson frozen-food, and her uncle was U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright. Tucker was raised partly in La Jolla, San Diego, California, and briefly attended boarding school in Switzerland.

Tucker’s maternal great-great-great-grandfather was Henry Miller (born Heinrich Alfred Kreiser), a rancher, originally from Brackenheim, Germany, who became known as the “Cattle King of California,” and was one of the largest landowners in the late 19th century U.S.

Tucker’s father was born Richard Boynton. He was placed into The Home for Little Wanderers orphanage, where he was fostered by Florence and Carl Moberger, and then adopted by W. E. Carlson and his wife. The Carlsons were an upper-middle-class family; W. E. was an executive at the Winslow Brothers & Smith Tannery of Norwood.

Tucker’s biological paternal grandfather was Richard L. Boynton (the son of Frank Omar Boynton and Helen Catherine Marshall). Richard was born in Massachusetts. Frank was the son of George Fletcher Boynton and Gladys L. Ballard. Helen was the daughter of Joseph J. Marshall and Catherine A. Flynn. Jospeh’s parents, Tucker’s great-great-great-grandparents, Manuel Machado/Marshal and Marie Louise Freitas, were Portuguese emigrants, from the Azores.

Tucker’s biological paternal grandmother was Dorothy A. Anderson (the daughter of Gustaf R. Anderson and Inga/Ingeborg C. Paulsson/Paulson). Dorothy was born in Massachusetts, to Swedish parents.

Tucker’s maternal grandfather was Oliver Maurice Lombardi (the son of Maurice Ennis/C. Lombardi and Ethel Rogers Peck). Oliver was born in California. Tucker’s great-grandfather Maurice was the son of Cesar/Caesar Maurice Lombardi, who was Swiss, of Swiss-Italian descent, from Airolo, Canton of Ticino; and of Caroline Gaston Ennis. Ethel was the daughter of William Edward Peck and Lilly/Lillie Rebecca Rogers.

Tucker’s maternal grandmother was Mary Ernestine Nickel (the daughter of George Wilmarth Nickel and Ernestine McNear). Mary was born in California. George was the son of James Leroy Nickel and Ellen Sheldon “Nellie” Miller. Tucker’s great-grandmother Ernestine was the daughter of George Washington McNear and Etta Burkhalter Tucker.

Sources: Article about some of Tucker’s ancestry – https://www.politico.com

Tucker’s father writes about his own background – https://www.washingtonpost.com

Genealogy of Tucker Carlson – https://www.geni.com

Tucker’s biological paternal grandmother, Dorothy A. Anderson, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary record of Tucker’s biological paternal grandmother, Dorothy A. “Dotty” (Anderson) Johns Bohnfeldt – https://www.familysearch.org

Tucker’s maternal great-grandfather, Maurice Ennis/C. Lombardi, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org