Birth Name: Zena Lotus Grey

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York

Date of Birth: September 15, 1988

Ethnicity:
*German, English, Irish, Scottish (father)
*Ashkenazi Jewish (mother)

Zena Grey is an American actress. She is the daughter of artists Allyson and Alex Grey (born Alex Kenton Velzy). Alex is an author, teacher, and Vajrayana practitioner.

Zena’s father has German, English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. Zena and her mother are both Jewish, and she was raised in the Jewish faith.

Zena’s paternal grandparents are Walter Earl Velzy (the son of Earl Lester Velzy and Ada Edith May Falkner) and Jane Stewart (the daughter of Paul Edgar Stewart and Carrie Wood). Ada’s parents were German.

Source: Genealogy of Zena’s paternal great-grandfather, Earl Lester Velzy – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com

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Birth Name: Stephen Wilson Bethel

Place of Birth: Hillsborough, New Hampshire

Date of Birth: February 24, 1984

Ethnicity:
*English (maternal grandfather)
*Ashkenazi Jewish (maternal grandmother)

Wilson Bethel is an American actor. He is known for starring in the television series Hart of Dixie. He is the son of author Joyce Maynard (Daphne Joyce Maynard) and Stephen Bethel.

The surname “Bethel” is usually English.

Wilson’s maternal grandparents were Max S. Maynard and Fredelle Bruser (the daughter of Boris Bruser and Rona Slobinsky). Max was born in India, to English Fundamentalist missionary parents, and later moved to Canada. Fredelle was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, to Russian Jewish parents.

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Birth Name: Lewis Allan Reed

Date of Birth: March 2, 1942

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States

Date of Death: October 27, 2013

Place of Death: Southampton, New York, United States

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Lou Reed was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was known as the guitarist and vocalist of the American rock band The Velvet Underground, as well as for his solo career. Lou was the son of Toby (Futterman) and Sidney Joseph Rabinowitz, and grew up in Freeport, New York.

Lou’s paternal grandparents were Mendel Rabinowitz (the son of Solomon Rabinowitz and Mollie Novack/Novick) and Fannie Weinberg (the daughter of Yierma Weinberg and Slova Beckman). Mendel and Fannie were both born in Russia.

Lou’s maternal grandparents were Louis Futterman and Rebecca. They were both born in the Russian Empire, in present day Poland.

Source: Genealogy of Lou Reed – http://www.geni.com

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Place of Birth: Glendora, California

Date of Birth: August 6, 1976

Ethnicity:
*possibly English (father)
*Ashkenazi Jewish (mother)

Soleil Moon Frye is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She is the daughter of actor and boxing champion Virgil Frye (Virgil Charles Frye) and talent agent and caterer Sandra Peluce (née Londy). She has two half-brothers, actors Sean Frye and Meeno Peluce.

Soleil’s father, who was from Estherville, Iowa, possibly had English ancestry. Soleil’s mother is Jewish. Soleil is married to television producer Jason Goldberg, who is also Jewish, and the two wed in a Jewish ceremony.

Soleil’s maternal grandparents had the surnames “Londy” and “Cohen”.

Source: http://www.jweekly.com

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Birth Name: Daniel Snider

Place of Birth: Astoria, New York, United States

Date of Birth: March 15, 1955

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish, Swiss (possibly Swiss-French), possibly Hungarian (from Romania)

Dee Snider is an American singer, songwriter, actor, television and radio personality, and screenwriter. He is the lead singer of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister.

He is the son of Marguerite, a former art teacher, and Bob Snider, a former New York state trooper and Mineola court clerk.

In his book Shut Up and Give Me the Mic, Dee wrote:

My mother taught the sixth-grade Sunday-school class at my church. A devout Christian woman, born and raised Roman Catholic by her Swiss parents, she went to church every Sunday of her life… until the day she married my formerly Jewish dad.

In the same book, he wrote:

The guys were tired of my abuse (I thought it was dressing-room banter!) and voted—unbeknownst to me—that I could no longer participate in the exchange of insults between band members. Supposedly my lack of giving a shit, and my Swiss-Ukrainian-Transylvanian heritage, left little for the guys to work with when they retaliated.

On his twitter account, Dee wrote:

So was my grandmother! Transylvanian actually!… I’m Hungarian! :) I’m sure you did great!

Well, my grandmother was from Transylvania! (for real)

Due to Dee’s mother’s given name being Marguerite, it is possibly that she was of Swiss-French descent. Transylvania, Romania, is home to the Hungarian-speaking ethnic minority in Romania, also known as Székelys. It is not clear if Dee was referring to his paternal of maternal grandmother. If he was referring to his paternal grandmother, she might have been of Jewish descent from Transylvania. The same is true for Dee’s Ukrainian ancestry, it is not clear whether he has Ukrainian or Ukrainian Jewish ancestry.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com

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Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California

Date of Birth: February 17, 1965

Ethnicity: publicly unknown (raised Jewish)

Michael Bay is an American filmmaker.

Michael was adopted as an infant by Harriet (Markowitz) and Sheldon James “Jim” Bay. Michael’s adoptive parents were Jewish, and he was raised Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony.

Michael’s adoptive father’s parents were Samuel Leon Bay and Esphira Shapira-Kaplan. Samuel was born in Russia.

Michael’s adoptive father’s brother, Mordecah Wolfe Bay, is the father of Susan (Bay) Nimoy, who was married to actor Leonard Nimoy.

Source: Genealogy of Michael Bay (focusing on his adoptive father’s side) – http://www.geni.com

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Date of Birth: October 4, 1986

Ethnicity: African-American, Native American, German Jewish

Kali Hawk is an American actress, comedian, and model. She has been described as being of African-American, Native American, and German Jewish descent.

Kali’s paternal great-grandparents were Edward James Davis (the son of Wheeler Davis and Coreane Dixon) and Beatrice Arbuckle (the daughter of Samuel J. Arbuckle and Beatrice Courtney). Edward and Beatrice were African-American.

Sources: Kali talks about her Arbuckle ancestry – http://instaliga.com

Kali’s paternal great-grandparents, Edward James Davis and Beatrice Arbuckle, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

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Birth Name: Keegan Phillip Franc Allen

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California

Date of Birth: July 22, c. late 1980s

Ethnicity: Polish, Ashkenazi Jewish

Keegan Allen is an American actor, photographer, and musician. He is the son of Joan (Snyder), an artist, and Phillip R. Allen (Phillip Richard Allen), an actor.

Keegan’s father had Polish (Catholic) ancestry. Keegan’s mother is Jewish, and Keegan was raised Jewish.

Keegan’s paternal grandparents were Frank X. Zulawski (the son of Frank X. Zulawski and Stefania/Stella Saydak) and Helen Sarna (the daughter of John Sarna and Madalene Cichon). Keegan’s great-grandfather Frank was born in Pennsylvania, to Polish parents, and Keegan’s great-grandmother Stefania was Polish. Keegan’s grandmother Helen was born in Pennsylvania, to Polish parents.

Sources: Keegan’s paternal grandfather, Frank X. Zulawski, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Keegan’s paternal grandmother, Helen Sarna, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Keegan mentions his Jewish religion – https://grammio.com

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Birth Name: Catherine Louise Sagal

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: January 19, 1954

Ethnicity:
*Ashkenazi Jewish (father)
*1/4 Alsatian German, English, some Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Swiss-German, German, 1/32 Swedish, and distant French (mother)

Katey Sagal is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is known for her role as Peggy Bundy in the sitcom Married… with Children, and Gemma Teller Morrow in the series Sons of Anarchy.

Katey is the daughter of Sara (Zwilling), a director and singer, and Boris (born Bernard Louis) Sagal, a director and writer. Sara was born in Geneva, Illinois. Boris was born in Yekaterinoslav, Soviet Union (present day Ukraine).

Katey’s maternal grandparents were Daniel Frederick Zwilling (the son of Daniel Zwilling and Alda Blanche Miller) and Virginia Lee Thompson (the daughter of Nathaniel Quitman Thompson and Virginia/Jennie M. Macon). Katey’s great-grandfather Daniel was born in Ohio, to ethnic German parents from Alsace Lorraine, France. Alda was born in Marshall, Iowa. Nathaniel and Virginia/Jeannie was both born in Mississippi.

Sources: Genealogies of Katey Sagal (focusing on her mother’s side) –
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
https://familysearch.org
https://familysearch.org

Katey’s mother on the 1930 United States Census – https://familysearch.org
Katey’s mother on the 1940 United States Census – https://familysearch.org

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Place of Birth: New York City, New York, United States

Date of Birth: November 4, 1970

Ethnicity:
*Ashkenazi Jewish (father)
*Welsh (mother; who converted to Judaism)

Bethenny Frankel is an American reality television personality, talk show host, author, chef, and entrepreneur. She is the daughter of Robert Julian Frankel, a famed horse trainer, and Bernadette Birk.

Bethenny’s paternal grandparents were Merrill Frankel and Gertrude. Merrill and Gertrude were Jewish.

According to Frankel’s biography, her mother’s family was from Wales and they lived in shacks and raised pigeons there. Bethenny’s mother converted to Judaism.

Source: A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life, by Bethenny Frankel, page 56.

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Birth Name: Megan Whitney Boone

Place of Birth: Petoskey, Michigan

Date of Birth: April 29, 1983

Ethnicity: German, English, some Scottish and Dutch, 1/16th Ashkenazi Jewish

Megan Boone is an American actress. Her maternal grandfather, H. Gary Morse, was a billionaire who developed the community of The Villages, Florida.

Megan is of mostly German and English, with some Scottish and Dutch, ancestry. One of her maternal great-great-grandfathers was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant.

Megan’s paternal grandparents were Daniel Wellington Boone and Kay Deskin (the daughter of Roy Deskin and Leona Whitney). Roy was the son of H. A. Deskin and Matilda Mendel. Leona was the daughter of Leon Packard Whitney and Rosalyn/Rossie Lula Buck.

Megan’s maternal grandfather was Harold Gary Morse (who took his stepfather’s surname, “Morse”, and was born Harold Gary Schwartz, the son of Harold Samuel Schwartz and Mary Louise Lee). Megan’s great-grandfather Harold’s father, Lajos/Louis S. Schwartz, was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant (one of Lajos’s own grandfathers was a Polish Jew). Megan’s great-grandfather Harold’s mother, Katherine/Catherine Isabel Decker, was the daughter of John D. Decker and Jessie Monro Storms. Megan’s great-grandmother Mary Louise was the daughter of George Clinton Lee and Marie Elizabeth Keller.

Megan’s maternal grandmother was Sharon Lee Gartenbein (the daughter of Charles J. Gantenbein and Ruby Rita Streiff). Charles was the son of John Charles Gantenbein and Laura Belle Smith. Ruby was the daughter of Jacob L. Streiff and Minnie Almira Benjamin.

Sources: Newspaper article about Megan Boone – http://www.villages-news.com

Genealogies of Megan Boone – http://gw.geneanet.org
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com

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Birth Name: Francesca Ruth Eastwood

Place of Birth: Redding, California U.S.

Date of Birth: August 7, 1993

Ethnicity:
*English, with some German, Irish, Scottish, and distant Dutch (father)
*Ashkenazi Jewish, Norwegian (mother)

Francesca Eastwood is an American actress, model, and television personality. She is the daughter of actor/filmmaker Clint Eastwood (Clinton Eastwood) and actress Frances Fisher (Frances Louise Fisher). She is the half-sister of Scott Eastwood, who is also an actor.

Francesca’s father has English, with some German, Irish, Scottish, and distant Dutch, ancestry. Francesca’s mother was born in New Forest, Hampshire, England, to American parents, and spent some of her teenage years in Orange, Texas. Francesca’s maternal grandfather was Jewish (of Russian Jewish and Hungarian Jewish descent). Francesca’s maternal grandmother was of Norwegian ancestry.

Francesca’s “Eastwood” line seems to trace back to Richard Eastwood, who was born, c. 1620, in England. Richard moved to Virginia, United States.

Francesca’s paternal grandfather was Clinton Eastwood (the son of Burr Eastwood and Jesse Mabel Anderson). Burr was the son of Asa Bedesco Eastwood and Emily/Emma Maraya Young. Jesse was the daughter of Matthew Anderson, who was Scottish, and of Lois Sabra Gaskill.

Francesca’s paternal grandmother was Margaret Ruth Runner (the daughter of Waldo Erroll Runner and Virginia May McClanahan). Waldo was the son of Charles Claude Runner and Sophia Aurelia Bartholomew. Virginia was the daughter of James William McClanahan and Matilda Belle Boyle; Matilda’s parents were John Pearis Boyle and Eliza D. Patterson.

Francesca’s maternal grandfather was William Irving Fisher, Sr. (the son of Louis Fisher and Fannie Miller). Louis was a Russian Jewish immigrant, the son of David Fisher and Anna. Fannie was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant. Fannie’s father was Rabbi Moshe Miller.

Francesca’s maternal grandmother was Olga Rosine Moen (the daughter of Marcus M. Moen and Rosine Caroline Preus). Marcus was Norwegian, the son of John Mortenson Moen and Pauline Olsdatter Hagerud. Rosine was born in Wisconsin, to Norwegian parents, Hans Nicolai Preus and Ludoviska Christophora Suckow.

Sources: Genealogies of Francesca Fisher – http://gw.geneanet.org
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Genealogies of Francesca’s father – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Family history of Francesca’s father (focusing on his own mother’s side) – http://www.americanancestors.org

Genealogy of Francesca’s maternal grandparents, William Irving Fisher and Olga Rosine Moen – http://www.geni.com

Francesca’s maternal grandmother, Olga Rosine Moen, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

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Birth Name: Travis Cordell Kalanick

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: August 6, 1976

Ethnicity:
*50% Czech
*37.5% Ashkenazi Jewish
*6.25% German
*6.25% Irish

Travis Kalanick is an American entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of the peer-to-peer file sharing company Red Swoosh and the transportation network company Uber.

His father, Donald Edward Kalanick, is of Czech descent. His mother, Bonnie Renee (Bloom), is of three quarters Ashkenazi Jewish background (her own maternal grandfather was of German and Irish descent).

Travis’ paternal grandparents were Michael Andrew “Mike” Kalanick (the son of Jan Kulhánek, later John Kalanick, and Anna Polanská) and Mary Zeyock (the daughter of Jiří “George” Zeyock and Anna “Annie” Androsová). All of Travis’ paternal great-grandparents were Czech immigrants.

Travis’ maternal grandfather was Morris Bloom (also known as Maurice Buddy Bloom, the son of Frank Bloom and Rose Winegart). Frank was a Polish Jewish immigrant, and was the son of Morris Bloom. Rose was a Russian Jewish immigrant.

Travis’ maternal grandmother was Shirley Anita Ehni (the daughter of Charles Joseph Ehni and Tillie Kohn). Charles was the son of Charles William Ehni, whose parents were German, and of Anna Haver, whose parents were Irish. Travis’ maternal grandmother Tillie was the daughter of Samuel “Sam” Kohn, a German Jewish immigrant, and Esther Eppstein, a Polish Jewish immigrant.

Sources: Travis’ birth record – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Travis’ parents – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of Travis’ father – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Travis’ paternal grandparents, Michael Andrew “Mike” Kalanick and Mary Zeyack – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of Travis’ mother – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Travis’ maternal grandparents, Maurice Buddy Bloom and Shirley Anita Ehni – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of Travis’ maternal grandfather, Morris Bloom – https://familysearch.org

Death record of Travis’ maternal great-grandfather, Frank Bloom – https://familysearch.org

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Place of Birth: New York City, New York

Date of Birth: 9 April, 1995

Ethnicity:
*25% Northern Irish and English
*25% Ashkenazi Jewish
*25% Algerian Kabyle
*25% German

Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis is a singer and songwriter, born and based in New York City. His parents are British actor Daniel Day-Lewis and French actress and singer Isabelle Adjani.

Gabriel-Kane’s paternal grandparents were Cecil Day-Lewis (the son of Frank Cecil Day-Lewis and Kathleen Blake Squires) and Jill Balcon (Jill Angela Henriette Balcon, the daughter of Michael Elias Balcon and Aileen Freda Leatherman). Gabriel-Kane’s grandfather Cecil was born in Ballintubbert, Queen’s County, Ireland, of Northern Irish and English descent, and was the son of an Anglican minister. Cecil was a poet who was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1968, until his death in 1972. Gabriel-Kane’s grandmother Jill was an actress, who was born in London, England, of Latvian Jewish and Polish Jewish ancestry. Gabriel-Kane’s great-grandfather Michael Balcon was a famous film producer who ran Ealing Studios.

Gabriel-Kane’s maternal grandparents were Mohammed Cherif Adjani and Emma Augusta “Gusti” Schweinberger. Mohammed was of Algerian-Kabyle descent, from Iferhounène, Kabylie. Emma was German.

Sources: Genealogies of Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
http://www.geni.com

Birth Name: Michael Alan Weiner

Place of Birth: The Bronx, New York City, NY

Date of Birth: March 31, 1942

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Michael Savage is an American talk show host, author, activist, nutritionist, and conservative political commentator. He is the son of Rae (Wolf) and Benjamin Weiner. His father was a Russian Jewish immigrant. His mother was born in Canada, and was also Jewish.

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Birth Name: Jillian L. McKarus

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California

Date of Birth: February 18, 1974

Ethnicity:
*Syrian/Lebanese (father)
*Italian (maternal grandfather)
*Ashkenazi Jewish (maternal grandmother)

Jillian Michaels is an American personal trainer, businessperson, author, and television personality.

Jillian’s paternal grandparents were Roger Essa McKarus (the son of Essa Makarus and Ruth Jamba) and Nellie Eva Courey (the daughter of Naijeeb Courey and Ratha Elizabeth Saba). Roger was Syrian. Nellie was born in Michigan, to Syrian parents. Some of Jillian’s father’s family also identified as Lebanese.

Jillian’s maternal grandparents were Joseph Saldi (the son of Michael Saldi and Raffaele Iacino) and Regina Maltson (the daughter of Casper Maltson and Minnie Landkron). Joseph was the son of Italian parents. Regina was born in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, to a Russian Jewish father and an Austrian Jewish mother.

Source: Genealogy of Jillian Michaels – http://www.geni.com

Birth Name: Tracee Joy Silberstein

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California

Date of Birth: October 29, 1972

Ethnicity:
*Ashkenazi Jewish (father)
*African-American (mother)

Tracee Ellis Ross is an American actress, model, comedian, producer, and television host. She is the daughter of American singer and actress Diana Ross and music business manager Robert Ellis Silberstein. Her maternal half-siblings are actors Rhonda Ross Kendrick and Evan Ross.

Tracee’s paternal grandparents were George Silberstein and Charlotte Lasky.

Tracee’s maternal grandparents were Fred Earl Ross (the son of John E. Ross and Ida Brice) and Ernestine Lillian Moten (the daughter of William Moten and Isabella Caldwell).

Sources: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com

Genealogy of Tracee Ellis Ross – http://www.geni.com

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Birth Name: Kira Nicole Kosarin

Place of Birth: Boca Raton, Florida

Date of Birth: October 7, 1997

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Kira Kosarin is an American actress and singer. She stars as Phoebe Thunderman in the Nickelodeon series The Thundermans. On Instagram, she posted a childhood picture of herself with a menorah, and mentioned that she went to a Jewish day school.

Kira’s paternal grandfather is Paul Kosarin (the son of Irving Kosarin and Ann Boriskin).

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Place of Birth: Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

Date of Birth: 4 August 1960

Ethnicity: Spanish (Castilian), some Sephardi Jewish

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is a Spanish politician. He served as Prime Minister of Spain from 16 April, 2004 to 21 December, 2011. He is the son of Juan Rodríguez y García-Lozano and María de la Purificación Zapatero y Valero. He is married to singer Sonsoles Espinosa Díaz.

José has stated that his family is of Jewish descent, probably from a family of Marranos.

José’s paternal grandparents were Juan Rodríguez y Lozano (the son of Sebastián Rodríguez Gil and Marcelina Lozano García) and Josefina García y García (the daughter of ? García and ? García).

José’s maternal grandparents were Faustino Zapatero y Coronel (the son of Agapito Zapatero and ? Coronel) and María de la Natividad Valero y Asensio (the daughter of ? Valero and ? Asensio).

Birth Name: Melinda Heather Cohn

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California

Date of Birth: May 20, 1966

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

American actress and comedian. She is known for her role as Natalie Green in The Facts of Life, and for being the voice of Velma Dinkley in the Scooby-Doo franchise since 2002. Her parents are Ina S. (Stern) and Nathaniel “Nat” Marshall Cohn. Her paternal grandmother’s surnames Brager.

Source: Her birth record- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGMZ-F9N
Her father’s birth record- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VLP1-4GW
Her parents’ marriage record- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6FC-LY5
http://fly.hiwaay.net/~djberry/fol/articles/tvguide/tg071683.htm

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