Zendaya
Zendaya in 2013, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman
Place of Birth: Oakland, California, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 1, 1996
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – German, Scottish, Irish, Northern Irish, English
Zendaya, also credited as Zendaya Coleman, is an American actress, singer, dancer, and model. She has starred in the films Spider-Man: Homecoming, and its sequels; The Greatest Showman, Duck Duck Goose, Smallfoot, Malcolm & Marie, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Dune (2021), and its sequel; and Challengers; on the series Shake It Up, K.C. Undercover, The OA, and Euphoria; and in the made-for-tv movies Frenemies and Zapped. Her recorded songs include “Swag It Out,” “Watch Me,” “Replay,” and “Rewrite the Stars.”
Her father, Kazembe Ajamu (born Samuel David Coleman), is African-American, from a family from Arkansas. Her mother, Claire Marie (Stoermer), who is white, has German, Scottish, Irish, Northern Irish, and English ancestry. Her parents are teachers. Her name, Zendaya, comes from the word Tendai/Tendayi, which means “to give thanks” in Shona, a Southwestern African language common in Zimbabwe and southern Zambia. There appears to be a rumour that Zendaya’s father is from Nigeria. This is not accurate.
She has said:
I just went to Africa and I learned so much about things I had no idea about or wasn’t aware of. And I think as an African American person, there’s a disconnect that we’re actually from Africa. We don’t think about it as much as we should and we’re not as connected to our roots. Partially, it’s not our fault, but now that we have the resources and the ability to find out where we’re from, we should…
Zendaya’s paternal grandfather was Robert Lee Coleman (the son of John Coleman and Ruby Taylor). Robert was born in Arkansas.
Zendaya’s paternal grandmother was Mildred Newton (the daughter of Samuel Douglas Newton and Rotella Merritt). Mildred was born in Arkansas. Samuel was the son of Isaac Newton and Readie Lacy. Rotella was the daughter of James Quincy Merritt and Sarah McGuire.
Zendaya’s maternal grandfather was Phillip Hilary Stoermer (the son of Fritz Hillary/Hilary Stoermer and Marian Elizabeth Peir). Phillip was born in California. Fritz was the son of Henry Stoermer, whose father was German; and of Etta Tyler Fritz. Marian was the daughter of Alois Henry Peir, whose father was born in Bohemia, and whose mother was born in England, to German parents; and of Kathyrn Gertrude Leahy/Leady, whose grandparents were all Irish.
Zendaya’s maternal grandmother was Daphne Carol Whitelaw (the daughter of Douglas William Walker Whitelaw and Thelma Ray Kelly). Daphne was from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Douglas was born in Dundee, Scotland, the son of Harry/Henry Tulloch Whitelaw and Agnes Drummond. Thelma was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the daughter of Joseph/John William Kelly, from Waterloo, Ontario, and whose own parents were Irish; and of Ella Sparling, from Huron, Ontario, who had three grandparents born in Ireland. The Kelly family was Presbyterian.
Zendaya with her parents, 2013, photo by Prphotos
Sources: Video of Zendaya and her parents talking about their ancestry – http://www.usmagazine.com
Genealogy of Zendaya – https://gw.geneanet.org
Genealogies of Zendaya (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://gw.geneanet.org
https://www.geni.com
Obituary of Zendaya’s maternal grandfather, Phillip Hilary Stoermer – http://nl.newsbank.com
Zendaya’s maternal great-grandfather, Fritz Hillary/Hilary Stoermer, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Zendaya’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Henry Stoermer, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Zendaya’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Ellen Grandona, on the 1860 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Zendaya’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Etta Tyler Fritz, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
I know most mixed girls are supposed to be pretty but Zendaya is not
Lol these comments are ridiculous y’all acting like you are investigators . The girl is basically black and white with other little things for those of you saying she can pass for Spanish or Latina . What the hell do you think Spanish and Latina women are ? We are also mixed with the obvious
spanish??
Ok, yeah if you look close around her brow bone and shape of face you can tell she has black. But it’s only because it’s pointed out that you have to really notice. Honestly I thought she was going to be part Hawaiian and maybe white. Or Latin. She picked up more of the European blood.
Also the width of her nose does look ethnic. It’s not a narrow nose.
Your comment is dumb . I’ve seen white people with wide ass noses . You can’t tell someone’s mix and enthicity sometimes just by looking at her face . You’re a idiot if you think all white ppl have narrow noses and all black ppl have wide noses that’s just like that saying ” white girls have no booty “
Cramming life is a bad disease. You should travel alot more!!
She doesn’t look black or white. She looks mixed.
She looks black to me. Except just lightskin.
All those ‘lightskinned blacks’ here in America are extremely admixed.
No, she doesn’t even fall into the lightskinned genus by the way.
She does.
I would not say extremely mixed. Many black families have a light skinned brother or sister with a dark skinned brother or sister. So one can have dark chocolate skin and be just as mixed as a lighter black person.
There are 100% African light skinned blacks.