Ancestral background of presidents of the United States explained

The ancestral background of presidents of the United States has been relatively consistent throughout American history. The most common ancestry of U.S. presidents is English, due to its origins as a group of former English colonies. With the exception of Martin Van Buren and possibly Dwight D. Eisenhower,^[1] every president has ancestors from the British Isles, which in turn makes many of them distantly related to one another. Van Buren was of entirely Dutch lineage (New Netherlander); Polk, Buchanan, and Wilson were of entirely Scottish and Scotch-Irish ancestry; Eisenhower was of German and Swiss heritage; Kennedy was of pure Irish descent; and Donald Trump is of German and Scottish heritage. Kennedy and Trump are the only known presidents who did not have ancestors who arrived during the colonial period. Barack Obama is the only president to have ancestry from outside of Europe; his paternal family is of Kenyan Luo ancestry. He is also believed to be a direct descendant of John Punch, a colonial-era slave born in modern-day Cameroon.^[2] Despite speculation, there is no evidence that any of the United States’ presidents have had any Indigenous American ancestry.

The most common ethnic groups in the Thirteen Colonies were those hailing from either Great Britain or Ulster which includes 9 counties of Ireland, 6 of which are in modern day Northern Ireland. Those of other backgrounds (such as Irish, Dutch, German, or French) would see attempts to assimilate them into the dominant English and predominately Protestant culture.^[3] A majority of presidents trace their ancestries to the American colonists, in which they are known as Old Stock Americans.

Some nativist political groups within the United States were adamantly opposed to identifying with a foreign nation and would coin those who did as hyphenated Americans. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were outspoken opponents of hyphenated Americans, with Wilson once remarking, "Any man who carries a hyphen about with him, carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic when he gets ready."^[4]

Ancestry table

Summary:

• (British) English38
• (British) Scottish22
• (British) Ulster Scots21
• (British) Welsh15
• French12
• German11
• Irish7
• Dutch5
• Swiss3
• Swedish2
• (British) Guernsey1
• Kenyan (Luo)1

														Patrilineal emigrant ancestor	Citations
1	George Washington (1732–1799)Augustine Washington Mary Ball													John Washington (great-grandfather)Sulgrave, England → Colony of Virginia (1656)	^[5] ^[6]
2	John Adams (1735–1826)John Adams Sr. Susanna Boylston													Henry Adams (2nd great-grandfather)Braintree, England → Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony (c.1633)	^[7] ^[8]
3	Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)Peter Jefferson Jane Randolph													Samuel Jefferson	^[9] ^[10]
4	James Madison (1751–1836)James Madison Sr. Eleanor Madison													Isaac Madison (3rd great-grandfather)London, England → Jamestown, Colony of Virginia (1608)	^[11] ^[12]
5	James Monroe (1758–1831)Spence Monroe Elizabeth Jones													Patrick Andrew Monroe (2nd great-grandfather)Scotland → Colony of Virginia (c.1650)	^[13]
6	John Quincy Adams (1767–1848)John Adams Abigail Smith													Henry Adams (3rd great-grandfather)Braintree, England → Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony (c.1633)
7	Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)Andrew Jackson Sr. Elizabeth Hutchinson													Andrew Jackson Sr. (father)Boneybefore, Ireland → Waxhaws, Carolinas (1765)	^[14] ^[15] ^[16]
8	Martin Van Buren (1782–1862)Abraham Van Buren Maria Hoes													Cornelis Maessen van Buren (3rd great-grandfather)Buurmalsen, Netherlands → New Netherland (1631)	^[17] ^[18]
9	William Henry Harrison (1773–1841)Benjamin Harrison V Elizabeth Bassett													Benjamin Harrison (3rd great-grandfather)England → Colony of Virginia (c.1630)	^[19]
10	John Tyler (1790–1862)John Tyler Sr. Mary Marot Armisted													Henry Tyler (3rd great-grandfather)Shropshire, England → Colony of Virginia (c.1652)
11	James K. Polk (1795–1849)Samuel Polk Jane Knox													Robert Bruce Polk (great-grandfather)Lifford, Ireland → Province of Maryland (c.1680)
12	Zachary Taylor (1784–1850)Richard Taylor Sarah Dabney Strother													James Taylor (2nd great-grandfather)England → Colony of Virginia	^[20]
13	Millard Fillmore (1800–1874)Nathaniel Fillmore Phoebe Millard													John Fillmore Sr (2nd great-grandfather)England → Massachusetts Bay Colony
14	Franklin Pierce (1804–1869)Benjamin Pierce Anna Kendrick													Thomas Pierce (3rd great-grandfather)Norwich, England → Massachusetts Bay Colony (c.1634)
15	James Buchanan (1791–1868)James Buchanan Sr. Elizabeth Speer													James Buchanan Sr. (father)Ramelton, Ireland → Pennsylvania (1783)
16	Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)Thomas Lincoln Nancy Hanks													Samuel Lincoln (4th great-grandfather)Hingham, England → Hingham, Massachusetts Bay Colony (1638)
17	Andrew Johnson (1808–1875)Jacob Johnson Mary McDonough													Unknown
18	Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885)Jesse Root Grant Hannah Simpson													Matthew Grant (5th great-grandfather)England → Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630)
19	Rutherford B. Hayes (1822–1893)Rutherford Hayes Jr. Sophia Birchard													George Hayes (3rd great-grandfather)Scotland → Windsor, Connecticut Colony (c.1680)	^[21]
20	James A. Garfield (1831–1881)Abram Garfield Eliza Ballou													Edward Garfield (5th great-grandfather)Hillmorton, England → Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630)
21	Chester A. Arthur (1829–1886)William Arthur Malvina Stone													William Arthur (father)Cullybackey, Ireland → Lower Canada (c.1820)Lower Canada → Vermont (c.1822)
22/24	Grover Cleveland (1837–1908)Richard Falley Cleveland Ann Neal													Moses Cleveland (5th great-grandfather)Ipswich, England → Massachusetts Bay Colony (1635)
23	Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)John Scott Harrison Elizabeth Ramsey Irwin													Benjamin Harrison (5th great-grandfather)England → Colony of Virginia (c.1630)
25	William McKinley (1843–1901)William McKinley Sr. Nancy Campbell Allison													John McKinley (2nd great-grandfather)Dervock, Ireland → Province of Pennsylvania (1742)
26	Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919)Theodore Roosevelt Sr. Martha Bulloch													Claes Maartenszen van Rosenvelt (5th great-grandfather)Netherlands → New Amsterdam, New Netherland (c.1649)
27	William Howard Taft (1857–1930)Alphonso Taft Louise Maria Torrey													Robert Taft Sr. (4th great-grandfather)County Louth, Ireland → Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony (c.1675)
28	Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)Joseph Ruggles Wilson Janet E. "Jessie" Woodrow													James Wilson (grandfather)Ulster, Ireland → Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (c.1795)
29	Warren G. Harding (1865–1923)George Tryon Harding Phoebe Elizabeth Dickerson													Richard Harding (8th great grandfather) Northampton, England → Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony (1623)
30	Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)John Calvin Coolidge Sr. Victoria Josephine Moor													John Coolidge (7th great-grandfather)Cottenham, England → Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony (c.1635)
31	Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)Jesse Clark Hoover Hulda Randall Minthorn													Andreas Huber (3rd great-grandfather)Ellerstadt, Holy Roman Empire → Province of Pennsylvania (1738)	^[22] ^[23]
32	Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)James Roosevelt I Sara Ann Delano													Claes Maartenszen van Rosenvelt (5th great-grandfather)Netherlands → New Amsterdam, New Netherland (c.1649)
33	Harry S. Truman (1884–1972)John Anderson Truman Martha Ellen Young													Unknown	^[24]
34	Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969)David Jacob Eisenhower Ida Elizabeth Stover													Johann Peter Eisenhauer (2nd great-grandfather)Karlsbrunn, Holy Roman Empire → York, Province of Pennsylvania (1741)	^[25] ^[26]
35	John F. Kennedy (1917–1963)Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr. Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald													Patrick Kennedy (great-grandfather)New Ross, Ireland → Boston, Massachusetts (c.1848)	^[27]
36	Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973)Samuel Ealy Johnson Jr. Rebekah Baines													Unknown	^[28]
37	Richard Nixon (1913–1994)Francis Anthony Nixon Hannah Elizabeth Milhous													Unknown	^[29]
38	Gerald Ford (1913–2006)Leslie Lynch King Sr. Dorothy Ayer Gardner													Philip King Devonshire, England → Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania (1730)	^[30]
39	Jimmy Carter (born 1924)James Earl Carter Sr. Bessie Lillian Gordy													Thomas Carter (8th great-grandfather)England → Colony of Virginia (c.1635)
40	Ronald Reagan (1911–2004)John Edward Reagan Nelle Clyde Wilson													Michael O'Regan (great-grandfather)County Tipperary, Ireland → London, England (1852)London, England → Carroll County, Illinois (1856)	^[31] ^[32]
41	George H. W. Bush (1924–2018)Prescott Sheldon Bush Dorothy Wear Walker													John Bush (7th great-grandfather)Messing, England → Massachusetts Bay Colony (c.1640)	^[33] ^[34] ^[35]
42	Bill Clinton (born 1946)William Jefferson Blythe Jr. Virginia Dell Cassidy													Unknown
43	George W. Bush (born 1946)George Herbert Walker Bush Barbara Pierce													John Bush (8th great-grandfather)Messing, England → Massachusetts Bay Colony (c.1640)
44	Barack Obama (born 1961)Barack Hussein Obama Sr. Stanley Ann Dunham													Barack Obama Sr. (father)Nyang'oma Kogelo, Kenya Colony → Honolulu, Hawaii (1959)	^[36] ^[37]
45	Donald Trump (born 1946)Frederick Christ Trump Sr. Mary Anne MacLeod													Friedrich Trump (grandfather)Kallstadt, Germany → New York City, New York (1885)	^[38]
46	Joe Biden (born 1942)Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. Catherine Eugenia Finnegan													William Biden (3rd great-grandfather)Westbourne, England → Baltimore, Maryland (c.1820)	^[39]

See also

• African-American heritage of presidents of the United States
• Most royal candidate theory
• Lists of Americans (lists of people from the United States by various criteria, including ethnic or national origin)

Further reading

• Book: Roberts, Gary Boyd. Ancestors of American Presidents. 2009. 2nd. New England Historic Genealogical Society. Boston. 978-0-88082-220-6.

External links

• Presidential Family Trees and Famous Kin, famouskin.com

Notes and References

1. Book: Roberts . Gary . Ancestors of American Presidents . 1995 . New England Historic Genealogical Society . 0-936124-19-9 . 8 . 4 April 2021.
2. Web site: Plante . Bill . July 30, 2012 . Surprising link found in Obama's family tree . May 24, 2020 . cbsnews.com.
3. Web site: Culture in the colonial classroom: A failed attempt at assimilation. Amanada. B. Moniz. National Museum of American History. September 7, 2018. July 18, 2020.
4. Web site: During World War I, U.S. Government Propaganda Erased German Culture. Robert. Siegel. Art. Silverman. NPR. April 7, 2017. July 18, 2018.
5. Encyclopedia: Hardy. Rob. Ancestry. The Digital Encyclopedia of George Washington. Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. Mount Vernon, Virginia. May 26, 2020.
6. Taylor. Maureen A.. The French Connection. June 2001. Family Tree Magazine. May 23, 2020.
7. Book: Fischer, David Hackett . Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America . Oxford University Press . 1989 . 978-0-19-506905-1 . . 834–839 . David Hackett Fischer . May 29, 2020.
8. News: Williamson . David . October 27, 2017 . The American Presidents with family links to Wales . walesonline.co.uk . Media Wales . Cardiff, Wales, UK . May 25, 2020.
9. Web site: Cullen . Niall . February 21, 2020 . A whistlestop tour of every US president's ancestry . May 30, 2020 . findmypast.com . DC Thomson . Dundee, Scotland, UK.
10. Web site: . September 11, 2019 . Your Queries: From Scotland to the White House… Six presidents with Scottish ancestry . May 24, 2020 . sundaypost.com . DC Thomson & Co . Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
11. Web site: 2016 . The Welsh in America . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200521015711/http://www.nawf.wales/the-welsh-in-america/4594061642 . May 21, 2020 . May 25, 2020 . nawf.wales . North America Wales Foundation . Penarth, Wales, UK.
12. Book: Tyler, Lyon Gardiner . Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography . Lewis Historical Publishing Company . 1915 . 92.
13. Book: Ammon, Harry . James Monroe: the quest for national identity . 1971 . New York, McGraw-Hill . Internet Archive . 978-0-07-001582-1.
14. Web site: Kennedy . Billy . Ulster-Scots and the United States Presidents . May 25, 2020 . The Ulster-Scots Agency . Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
15. Book: Elmer . Martin Jackson . Keeping the Lamp of Remembrance Lighted: A Genealogical Narrative with Pictures and Charts about the Jacksons and Their Allied Families . 1885 . Hagerstown Bookbinding & Printing Co. . . 9.
16. Web site: US Presidents with Irish Heritage .
17. Web site: Silbey . Joel . October 4, 2016 . Martin Van Buren: Life Before the Presidency . September 23, 2020 . Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia . Charlottesville, Virginia.
18. Web site: Simkin . John . January 2020 . Dutch Immigration . May 24, 2020 . spartacus-educational.com . Spartacus Educational Publishers.
19. Web site: Murphy . Sean . American Presidents with Irish Ancestors . May 25, 2020 . Centre for Irish Genealogical and Historical Studies . Bray, Ireland.
20. Book: Our Presidents At A Glance . Grosset & Dunlap . 1933 . Vinmont . Rolf Benjamin . New York City . 77.
21. Web site: Hayes Family Genealogy . May 26, 2020 . rbhayes.org . Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums . Spiegel Grove, Fremont, Ohio.
22. Book: Burner, David . Herbert Hoover: The Public Life . Alfred A. Knopf . 1979 . 978-0-394-46134-2 . New York City . 4.
23. Book: Yang, Philip Q. . Ethnic Studies: Issues and Approaches . SUNY Press . 2000 . 978-0-7914-9311-3 . . 214 . May 24, 2020.
24. Web site: Johnson . Niel . Johnson . Verna Gail . 1999 . Rooted In History: The Genealogy of Harry S. Truman . May 26, 2020 . trumanlibrary.gov . Harry S. Truman Library . Independence, Missouri.
25. Barnett . Lincoln . November 9, 1942 . General "Ike" Eisenhower . May 23, 2020 . . Time Inc. . New York City . 112–124 . 13 . 19.
26. Web site: Eisenhower Ancestry . February 1, 2021 . eisenhowerlibrary.gov . Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home . Abilene, Kansas.
27. Web site: John F. Kennedy and Ireland . September 23, 2020 . jfklibrary.org . John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum . Boston.
28. Wheeler . Keith . Lambert . William . August 14, 1964 . The Man Who Is President . . New York City . Time Inc. . 57 . 7 . 25–29, 77–80 . May 23, 2020.
29. Web site: Klein . Christopher . August 30, 2018 . 10 Things You May Not Know About Richard Nixon . May 30, 2020 . history.com . A&E Television Networks . New York City.
30. Web site: Gerald R. Ford Genealogical Information . May 24, 2020 . fordlibrarymuseum.gov . Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum . Ann Arbor, Michigan.
31. News: Gormley . Myra V. . February 17, 1986 . Digging Up a Potential Presidential Pedigree: 5 Chief Executives Identified as Most Likely Candidates . Los Angeles Times . May 24, 2020.
32. Book: Golway, Terry . Ronald Reagan's America: His Voice, His Dreams, and His Vision of Tomorrow . Sourcebooks MediaFusion . 2008 . 978-1-4022-1258-1 . . 1.
33. Web site: Dutch, Digging Deep, Find Bush's Pilgrim Roots. Maureen. Dowd. Maureen Dowd. July 18, 1989. The New York Times. June 4, 2021.
34. Web site: Ancestry of George W. Bush . Wargs.com . April 20, 2010.
35. News: George W Bush har svenska rötter . 17 August 2024 . SVT.
36. Book: Kenneally, Christine . The Invisible History of the Human Race: How DNA and History Shape Our Identities and Our Futures . Schwartz . 2014 . 978-0-670-02555-8 . Melbourne, Victoria . 47.
37. News: Stead Sellers . Frances . Blake . Aaron . Our first black president plays up his Scots-Irish heritage — and it has everything to do with Trump . 18 August 2024 . Washington Post . July 28, 2016.
38. Web site: Schubert . Atika . February 16, 2016 . Donald Trump's German roots: Inside the town that spawned a dynasty . May 24, 2020 . cnn.com.
39. Book: Witcover, Jules . Joe Biden: A Life of Trial and Redemption . William Morrow . 2010 . 978-0-06-179198-7 . New York City . 8 . Jules Witcover.