Profile Text
Aaliyah in 2001, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Aaliyah Dana Haughton
Date of Birth: January 16, 1979
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Death: August 25, 2001
Place of Death: Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, Bahamas
Ethnicity: African-Jamaican, African-American, possibly some Native American
Aaliyah was an American R&B singer, actress, dancer, and model. She starred in the films Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned . She was also known as Baby Girl.
Her parents, Diane (Hankerson) and Michael Mark “Miguel” Haughton, are both black. The name Aaliyah is from the word Aliyah, which is of Hebrew origin, meaning “highest, most exalted one, the best.” Her uncle is record producer and music manager Barry Hankerson, who founded Blackground Records, and was previously married to singer Gladys Knight . Aaliyah’s brother is writer, director, and screenwriter Rashad Haughton. She was said to be a cousin of Tek-N-Steele, of hip hop duo Smif-N-Wessun. Aaliyah was killed in a private plane crash. She was played by Alexandra Shipp in the made-for-tv movie Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B .
Aaliyah had stated :
When I wake up in the morning I am African-American, and when I go to sleep at night I am African-American, and I can assure you I love who I am…
When I wake up in the morning I am African-American, and when I go to sleep at night I am African-American, and I can assure you I love who I am…
Her father was of African-Jamaican descent. Her mother is of African-American ancestry.
Aaliyah has sometimes been cited as having a Native American grandmother, or as having a grandmother with some Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented.
Aaliyah’s paternal grandfather was Franklin Gressley/Gresley Reid “Frank” Haughton (the son of Solomon Ehud/Elmer Haughton and Lilia Margaret Bell). Franklin was a Jamaican emigrant, from Darliston, Westmoreland. Solomon was born in Barneyside, Westmoreland, the son of Robert Samuel Haughton and Judith Richardson. Aaliyah’s great-grandmother Lilia was born in Sheffield, Westmoreland, the daughter of Joseph Zebulon Bell and Ester Jemima Walker.
Aaliyah’s paternal grandmother was Gladys Lucille Burton (the daughter of Joseph Francis Cato Burton and Adella Adelaide Allen). Gladys was a Jamaican emigrant, from Bagnold Spring, Saint Mary. Joseph was born in Green Vale, Manchester, the son of Francis Cato Burton and Ann. Aaliyah’s great-grandmother Adella was born in Castle Kelly, Saint Ann, the daughter of Henry Staines Allen and Esther Adelaide Anderson. A picture of Gladys can be seen here .
Aaliyah’s maternal grandfather was Ernest Walter Hankerson (the son of Waddy/Woddie/Waddie Myers and Susie Hankerson). Ernest was born in Barnwell, Barnwell County, South Carolina. Waddy was born in Barnwell, the son of Henry Myers and Andenia/Hannah/Anna Hankerson. Susie was born in Richland Township, Barnwell, the daughter of Henry Hankerson and Rachel Peeples.
Aaliyah’s maternal grandmother was Mintis L. Hicks (the daughter of Silas R. Hicks and Mary Alice Mayo). Mintis was born in Bracey, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. A photo of Mintis can be seen here . Silas was born in Mecklenburg, the son of William Cannon Hicks and Amy Cousins. Mary was born in Mecklenburg, the daughter of Andrew Mayo and Parnelia Tanner.
Sources: Genealogies of Aaliyah – https://www.geni.com https://www.wikitree.com https://www.findagrave.com
Genealogies of Aaliyah’s maternal grandparents, Ernest Walter Hankerson and Mintis L. (Hicks) Hankerson – https://www.findagrave.com