Profile Text
LOS ANGELES – JAN 08: Jennings arrives for the ABC Winter TCA Party 2020 on January 08, 2020 in Pasadena, CA, DFree /bigstock.com
Birth Name: Kenneth Wayne Jennings III
Place of Birth: Edmonds, Washington, U.S.
Date of Birth: May 23, 1974
Ethnicity: English, with Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, distant Cornish
Ken Jennings is an American game show contestant, television host, and author. He is known for his run on Jeopardy! , where he holds the record for the most consecutive games won, 74, and for winning the highest amount of prize money in regular-season play. He held the record for highest-earning game show contestant in the U.S. for over twenty years. He has also hosted Jeopardy! and its spin-offs since 2020.
His father was an international lawyer. His mother was a school teacher. Ken spent most of his childhood in South Korea and Singapore, while his father worked there. He is a Mormon (LDS). He is married to Mindy Boam, with whom he has two children.
Ken’s paternal grandfather was Kenneth Wayne Jennings (the son of Gardner Othneil Jennings and Irene Flinn/Flynn). Ken’s grandfather Kenneth was born in Ralls, Texas, to parents from Arkansas. Gardner was born in Sage, the son of The Rev. Elias William Love Jennings and Margaret Catherine/Katherine King. Irene was born in Batesville, the daughter of Cassius Monroe Flinn and Nancy Lou Bumpas/Bumpass.
Ken’s paternal grandmother was Georgia Lee Powers (the daughter of George Wesley Powers and Nita Viola Bates). Georgia was born in Davidson, Oklahoma. George was born in Birmingham, Alabama, the son of William Houston Powers and Sophronia Elizabeth Cagle. Nita was born in Vernon, Texas, the daughter of Eugene Tullis “Gene” Bates and Effie Mable/Mabel Alexander.
Ken’s maternal grandfather was Byron Richard Coltrin (the son of Herman Edwin Coltrin and Myrl Esther Siddoway). Byron was born in Los Angeles, California, to parents from Utah. Herman was born in Spanish Fork, the son of Heman/Herman Coltrin and Martha Jane Jones, who was Welsh, from Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. Myrl was born in Salt Lake City, the daughter of Robert Haddrick Siddoway, whose parents were English, from Durham; and of Frances Masters, who was also the daughter of British parents, with roots in Lancashire and Dorset.
Ken’s maternal grandmother was Betty Alice Elcock (the daughter of Eli Gibson Elcock and Muriel Joy Smith). Betty was born in Malad, Idaho. Eli was born in Malad, the son of Charles Elcock, who was born in Stafford, England, and of Julia Mae Gibson, whose maternal grandmother was English, from Arncliffe. Ken’s great-grandmother Muriel was born in Fielding, Utah, the daughter of Lot Smith, Jr. and Sarah Louise/Louisa Bingham, whose maternal grandparents were Welsh, from Merionethshire and Flintshire, respectively.
Sources: Genealogy of Ken Jennings – https://www.geni.com
Genealogies of Ken’s father – http://www.halcyondays.com https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Ken’s paternal grandfather, Kenneth Wayne Jennings (focusing on his own father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com
Genealogy of Ken’s mother – https://www.familysearch.org