Profile Text
Fanning in 2014, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Mary Elle Fanning
Place of Birth: Conyers, Georgia, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 9, 1998
Ethnicity: German, English, as well as Irish, French, Channel Islander [Jersey, Guernsey], Scottish, Welsh, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and Cornish
Elle Fanning is an American actress. Having acted since practically her infancy, her roles include the films My Neighbor Totoro , Daddy Day Care , The Door in the Floor , Because of Winn-Dixie , Babel , Déjà Vu (2006), The Nines , Reservation Road , Phoebe in Wonderland , The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , Astro Boy , Somewhere , The Nutcracker in 3D (2010), Super 8 , Twixt , We Bought a Zoo , Ginger & Rosa , Young Ones , Low Down , Maleficent , and its sequel; The Boxtrolls , Trumbo (2015), 3 Generations , The Neon Demon , 20th Century Women , Ballerina , Live by Night , The Vanishing of Sidney Hall , How to Talk to Girls at Parties , The Beguiled , Mary Shelley (2017), I Think We’re Alone Now , Galveston , Teen Spirit (2018), A Rainy Day in New York , The Roads Not Taken , All the Bright Places , A Complete Unknown , Sentimental Value , and Predator: Badlands ; the series The Lost Room , The Great , and The Girl from Plainville ; and the video game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach .
Elle is the daughter of Heather Joy and Steven J. Fanning. Her father played minor league baseball. Her mother played tennis professionally. She is the younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning (Hannah Dakota Fanning). Her aunt, mother’s sister, is ESPN reporter Jill Arrington. Her paternal grandmother was German. On her mother’s side, she is descended from Joseph Martin, a brigadier general in the Virginia militia during the American Revolutionary War.
Elle’s paternal grandfather was William Edward “Bill” Fanning (the son of George Joseph Fanning and Dorcas Florence Godden). William was born in New York City, New York. George was born in New York City, to Irish parents, Edward William Fanning and Catherine/Catharine Connelly, who was from Donegal. Elle’s great-grandmother Dorcas was born in the Bronx, New York, the daughter of George Henry Godden, who was born in St. Helier, island of Jersey, U.K. Channel Islands; and of Dorcas Caroline Thoumine, who was born in Saint Peter Port, on the island of Guernsey, Channel Islands. Elle’s great-grandmother Dorcas also had English and French ancestry.
Elle’s paternal grandmother was Katharina “Kathe” Kramb (the daughter of Jakob/Jacob Kramb/Kraab and Marie Bauer). Katharine was German, born, c. 1937, in Ludwigshaven, Rheinland-Pfalz. She moved to the U.S. in the 1950s or 1960s.
Elle’s maternal grandfather was Richard Cameron “Rick” Arrington (the son of Richard Adler Arrington, Jr. and Hazel Cameron). Elle’s grandfather Richard was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and was an NFL quarterback, for the Philadelphia Eagles. Elle’s great-grandfather Richard was born in Charlotte, Mecklenburg, the son of Richard Adler Arrington and Nell/Nellie L. Covington. Elle’s great-grandmother Hazel was born in Barbecue, Harnett, North Carolina, the daughter of McBryde/McBride Cameron and Pearlie Thomas.
Elle’s maternal grandmother was Mary Jane Odum (the daughter of William Henry Odum, Jr. and Ellouise Virginia Luke). William was born in Covington, Newton, Georgia, and was sheriff of Newton County. He was the son of William Henry Odum and Mamie Olive Ozburn. Ellouise was born in Ray City, Berrien, Georgia, the daughter of Silas Auley Luke and Myrtle Jone/Jane Swindle.
Sources: Genealogies of Elle Fanning – https://www.geni.com https://famouskin.com
Genealogies of Elle Fanning (through Elle’s sister, Dakota Fanning) – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com http://gw.geneanet.org https://www.wikitree.com
Obituary of Elle’s maternal great-grandmother, Hazel (Cameron) Arrington – http://www.findagrave.com
Ancestry.com article about Elle Fanning and Dakota Fanning’s distant ancestry – http://blogs.ancestry.com