Wolfgang Van Halen

Van Halen in 2012, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Wolfgang William Van Halen

Place of Birth: Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: March 16, 1991

Ethnicity: Dutch, Italian, English, Indonesian [Javanese], smaller amounts of Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, German, distant Swedish

Wolfgang Van Halen is an American musician. He is the bassist of the rock band Van Halen. Wolfgang is the son of musician, songwriter, producer, and inventor Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli. His uncle is musician Alex Van Halen. Other members of Van Halen include/have included Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth, his uncle, Alex, and his father, Eddie.

Wolfgang’s father was born in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and was of Dutch, Indonesian (Javanese), and 1/16th Italian, descent. He moved to Pasadena, California, with his family in 1962. His mother was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and is of Italian ancestry on her father’s side, and of English, with smaller amounts of Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and German, and distant Swedish, ancestry, on her mother’s side.

Wolfgang’s paternal grandfather was Jan van Halen (the son of Hermanus van Halen and Jannetje Berg). Jan was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and was a clarinetist, saxophonist, and pianist. Hermanus was the son of Hermanus van Halen and Jacoba Maria Kamermans. Jannetje was the daughter of Jan Berg and Elizabeth Adriana Vink.

Wolfgang’s paternal grandmother was Eugenia van Beers (the daughter of Frans van Beers and Eugenie Rygelo Mafficioli del Castelletto). Wolfgang’s grandmother Eugenia was born in Rangkasbetoeng, on the island of Java, Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. She was Eurasian, and had Indonesian, Dutch, and one eighth Italian, ancestry. Frans was born in Bojonegoro, of Dutch and Indonesian descent, the son of Nicolaas van Beers, who was born in the Netherlands, and of Bidjie. Wolfgang’s great-grandmother Eugenie was the daughter of Regolo Mafficioli del Casteletto/Castelletto, whose father was of Italian origin, and of Riobinem/Roebinem, who was Javanese.

Wolfgang’s maternal grandfather was Andrew Francis Bertinelli, Jr. (the son of Nazzareno Bertinelli and Angeline/Angelina Maddalena Maria Crossa/Crosa). Andrea was born in Carbondale, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, to Italian parents. Nazzareno was born in Scheggia, Province of Perugia, Umbria, the son of Andrea/Andrew Bertinelli and Adelia. Angeline was born in Sanremo, Imperia, the daughter of Francesco/Frank George Crossa and Maria Francesca “Mary” Possio, who herself was born in Lanzo Torinese, Province of Turin, Piedmont.

Wolfgang’s maternal grandmother was Nancy Lee Carvin (the daughter of Lester Vodges Carvin and Elizabeth Adams Chambers). Nancy was born in New Jersey. Lester was the son of Joseph Dyer Carvin, Jr. and Ida P. Gooden. Elizabeth was the daughter of Harry N. Chambers and Martha Jane Pierce.

A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2024) stated that Wolfgang’s mother Valerie’s genetic ancestry consists of:

*35% Scotland
*29% Northern Italy
*9% France
*8% Southern Italy
*7% Ireland
*6% Sweden & Denmark
*4% Greece & Albania
*2% Germanic Europe

Sources: Genealogies of Wolfgang Van Halen – https://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com

Genealogies of Wolfgang’s father – http://asaloesoel.igv.nl
https://www.findagrave.com

Notes on Wolfgang’s mother’s family history – http://blogs.ancestry.com

Genealogy of Wolfgang’s mother (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://famouskin.com