Zak Williams

Birth Name: Zachary Pym Williams

Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, United States

Date of Birth: April 11, 1983

Ethnicity:
*father – English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, German, French, remote Dutch
*mother – Italian, Swedish

Zak Williams is the son of actress and dancer Valerie Velardi and comedian, actor, director, producer, writer, and singer Robin Williams (Robin McLaurin Williams). His half-sister is actress Zelda Williams. Zak is married to Olivia June, with whom he has two children.

Zak’s paternal great-great-great-grandfather, Anselm Joseph McLaurin, was a Democratic politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from Mississippi, from February 7, 1894 to March 4, 1895, and again from March 4, 1901 to December 22, 1909, and Governor of Mississippi, from January 20, 1896 to January 16, 1900.

Zak’s paternal grandfather was Robert Fitzgerald Williams (the son of Robert R. Williams and Ellanora Fitzgerald). Zak’s grandfather Robert was born in Evansville, Vanderburgh, Indiana, and was a senior executive at Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury Division. Zak’s great-grandfather Robert was the son of Haywood Ross Williams and Mary Elizabeth Riley. Ellanora was the daughter of James Jackson Fitzgerrell and Sarah Melissa Whitlow.

Zak’s paternal grandmother was Laura McLaurin Janin (the daughter of Robert Armistead Janin and Laura McLaurin Berry). Zak’s grandmother Laura was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and was a model. Robert was the son of Herbert/Hubert Lawrence Janin, whose father was of French descent, with roots in Paris and Tours; and of Julia Louisa/Louise Fassmann/Fassman. Zak’s great-grandmother Laura was the daughter of John Pleasant Berry and Stella May McLaurin. Zak’s grandmother Laura later took on the surname of her own stepfather, Robert Forrest Smith.

Zak’s maternal grandfather was Leonard D. Velardi (the son of Nicholas Velardi and Jennie C. Ruotolo). Leonard was born in Connecticut. Nicholas was Italian, and was born in San Lorenzello, Benevento, Campania, the son of Liberato Veraldi and Maria Ricciardi. Jennie was the daughter of Francesco Ruotolo, who was born in Naples, Campania, Italy, and of Rose Rosina Fernino, who was born in New York, of Italian descent.

Zak’s maternal grandmother was named Lorraine Anderson.

Sources: Notes on Zak’s father’s ancestry – http://vita-brevis.org

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

Genealogies of Zak’s father – http://famouskin.com
http://www.wikitree.com
http://www.findagrave.com
http://freepages.rootsweb.com

Zak’s paternal grandfather, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Zak’s father (focusing on his own mother’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Marriage record of Zak’s paternal great-grandparents, Robert R. Williams and Ellanora Fitzgerald – https://familysearch.org

Article about Zak’s paternal great-great-great-grandfather, Governor and Senator Anselm J. McLaurin – http://mshistory.k12.ms.us

Zak’s maternal grandfather, Leonard D. Velardi, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Zak’s maternal grandfather, Leonard D. Velardi – https://www.familysearch.org