Profile Text
Birth Name: Karoline Claire Leavitt
Place of Birth: Atkinson, New Hampshire, U.S.
Date of Birth: August 24, 1997
Ethnicity: French-Canadian, English, one eighth Irish, one eighth Italian, distant German and Scottish, remote Norwegian
Karoline Leavitt is an American political personality. A Republican, she has been White House Press Secretary, since January 20, 2025.
She is married to real estate developer Nicholas Riccio, with whom she has two children. Nicholas is thirty two years her senior.
Karoline is a practising Catholic.
Karoline’s patrilineal line can be traced to her twelfth great-grandfather William Leavitt, who was born, c. 1528, in Yorkshire, England.
Karoline’s paternal grandfather is the son of William John Leavitt and Grace Frances Welch. William was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, the son of Walter Joseph Leavitt, who was from Saco, Maine, and of Annie Lizzie Sands, who was from in Newburyport. Karoline’s great-grandmother Grace was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, the daughter of John Edward Welch and Mary Anne Murphy, who were born in Concord, New Hampshire.
Karoline’s paternal grandmother is the daughter of Ugo Nicholas Joseph “Dick” Gallerani and Vera Louise Barney. Dick was born in Haverhill, the son of Alberto/Albert Gallerani, who was Italian, and of Mary Gardella, who was born in New York City, New York, to Italian parents, from Rapallo, Liguria. Karoline’s great-grandmother Vera was born in Shelton, Connecticut, to Canadian immigrants, Frank Barney and Elvira M. Sailnier, who was from Nova Scotia, Canada.
Karoline’s maternal grandfather is the son of Daniel Francis Egan and Marion Elizabeth Ochee. Daniel was born in New York City, to Irish parents, from County Cork, Patrick James Egan, who was born in Liscarroll, and Margaret M. Lucey, who was born in Kilmacurrane. Karoline’s great-grandmother Marion was born in Haverhill, the daughter of Frank Henry Ochee, who was from Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, and was of at least part French-Canadian descent, with roots in New Brunswick; and of Amilda M. Robillard, who was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to French-Canadian parents. The name Ochee is anglicized from French Authier.
Karoline’s maternal grandmother is the daughter of Laurent Lucien Fiset and Laurette Brindle. Laurent was born in Haverhill, the son of Adolph Joseph Fiset, who was French-Canadian; and of Marie Louise Hamelin, who was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, to French-Canadian parents. Karoline’s great-grandmother Laurette was born in Québec, Canada, the daughter of William Brindle and Lydia Martel. Laurette’s Brindle line comes from her English great-grandfather John Brindle, who emigrated to Québec.
Karoline’s matrilineal line can be traced to her ninth great-grandmother Marie-Jeanne Toussaint, who was born, c. 1652-1708, in Paris, France.
Karoline possibly has remote Cherokee or Weapemeoc Native American ancestry through her twelfth great-grandmother Anitsilvsgi (c. 1590 – 1618), via second great-grandfather Frank Ochee. The existence of Anitsilvsgi is debated, and so is her ethnic origin. While Anitsilvsgi is a Cherokee name, the area she was from in North Carolina was inhabited by the Weapemeoc.
Source: Genealogy of Karoline Leavitt – https://gw.geneanet.org