Profile Text
Knowles in 2011, Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Solange Piaget Knowles
Place of Birth: Houston, Harris, Texas, U.S.
Date of Birth: June 24, 1986
Ethnicity: * father – African-American * mother – Louisiana Creole, including African, French, Acadian/French-Canadian, as well as distant Irish, Breton, and Belgian Walloon, remote Penobscot First Nations
Solange Knowles, also known simply as Solange, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and model. She co-starred in the films Johnson Family Vacation and Bring It On: All or Nothing .
Solange is the daughter of Tina Knowles (born Célestine Ann Beyoncé), a fashion designer, and Mathew C. Knowles, a businessperson and talent manager. She is the sister of actress and singer Beyoncé . They are the first sisters to have each had No. 1 albums. Her niece, Beyoncé’s daughter, is singer and dancer Blue Ivy Carter . Her first cousin is songwriter, actress, and music executive Angela Beyincé. Solange was a step-sister of actress Bianca Lawson . Her mother was married to Bianca’s father, actor Richard Lawson. Solange is married to music video director Alan Ferguson. She has a son with her former husband Daniel Smith.
Solange’s father is African-American. Solange’s maternal grandparents were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia; their ancestry was mostly African and French (including French ancestors who lived in Canada). Through her mother’s line, Solange is a great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard, who led French-speaking Catholics from Nova Scotia, Canada to Louisiana in 1765. He was among the first 200 Acadians to arrive in Louisiana that year. She is also a descendant of French military officer Jean-Vincent d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin (born c. 1652 in Escout, France), and of his wife, Marie Mathilde Pidianske/Penobscot (born c. 1658), who was the daughter of Madockawando Abenaki, a chief of the Penobscot (Panawahpskek) people. Through Marie Mathilde, Solange is of 1/1024 Indigenous descent. Solange is also of approximately 1/32 Irish ancestry, and has distant Breton and Belgian Flemish roots on her mother’s side, the latter including her ancestor Albert de Cuir, from Hainaut Province, Wallonia. Her sister’s name, Beyoncé, is a tribute to their mother’s family name, Beyincé. Through her Broussard line, she is a third cousin of gospel singer and graphic artist Karen Showell.
Solange’s sister Beyoncé has said that she has Nigerian ancestry. She may have discovered this through a DNA test.
A picture of Solange’s maternal grandparents can be seen here .
Solange’s paternal grandfather was Matthew/Mathew Q. Knowles (the son of Taylor Knowles and Girlie/Gurlie/Gerlie Mae Miller). Matthew was born in Alabama. Taylor was born in Alabama, the son of James Isaac Knowles and Sarah Elizabeth Dixon. Girlie was born in Alabama, the daughter of Prophet Miller and Jane Hall.
Solange’s paternal grandmother was Lou Helen Hogue (the daughter of Davis/Dave Hogue and Hester Moore). Lou was born in Alabama. Davis was the son of Jim Hogue and Rosetta Moore. Hester was the daughter of Pinkney Madison Moore and Arenia Goree.
Solange’s maternal grandfather was Lumis/Lumas Albert Beyincé/Buyincé (the son of Alexon/Alexandre Beyincé/Buyincé/Boyance and Mary/Marie Olevia/Olivier). Lumis was born in Delcambre, Vermilion, Louisiana, to parents who were also born in the state. Alexon was the son of Jean Boyancé II, who was born in Noaillac, Gironde, Aquitaine, France; and of Angéline Élisabeth Green, who was a slave. Solange’s great-grandmother Mary was the daughter of Raphaël Joseph Olivier and Agathe Solange Préférée.
Solange’s maternal grandmother was Agnès/Agnèz DeRouen/Deréon (the daughter of Eugène-Gustave DeRouen/Deréon/Derezen and Odelia/Odilia Broussard). Agnès was born in Louisiana, and was a prominent seamstress. Eugène-Gustave was born in Louisiana, and likely was the son of Eloi Jacques DeRouen. Solange’s great-grandmother Odelia was born in Louisiana, the daughter of Éloi/Éloy-René Rosemond Broussard and Célestine Joséphine “Tine” Lessee/Lesse/Lesser/Lacy/Lacey/Lessassier. Éloi was white, of French descent, the son of Rosémond Broussard and Adéline/Adelania-Joséphine “Adèle” Broussard. Célestine was the daughter of Joseph Lacey/Lessee, a white merchant; and of Rosalie Jean-Louis, a slave. Solange’s great-great-grandparents Éloi and Joséphine had many children together, and possibly married. A picture of Solange’s great-grandfather Eugène-Gustave can be seen here .
Knowles’s parents Mathew and Tina, 2007, photo by bigstock.com
Solange’s mother has also been described as having Cherokee and/or Choctaw Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented. No Cherokee or Choctaw Native American ancestors appear on publicly available family trees of Solange’s mother. One book biography of Solange’s sister, Crazy in Love: The Beyoncé Knowles Biography , 2000, also refers to their mother having Spanish, Jewish, Chinese, and Indonesian ancestry. It is also not clear if this is accurate.
Sources: Genealogies of Solange Knowles – http://www.geni.com https://famouskin.com
Family history of Solange – https://www.hollywoodancestry.com https://www.dailymail.co.uk https://jack.canalplus.com https://www.mylhcv.com
Family history of Solange, by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak – http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Solange’s paternal grandfather, Matthew/Mathew Q. Knowles, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Solange’s paternal grandmother, Lou Helen Hogue, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Solange’s mother – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Solange’s maternal great-grandmother, Mary/Marie Olevia/Olivier – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Solange’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Raphael Joseph Olivier and Agathe Solange Preferé – https://www.familysearch.org
Solange’s maternal grandmother, Agnès/Agnèz DeRouen/Deréon, on 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Article about Solange’s maternal great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Broussard – http://www.biographi.ca
Knowles in 2008, photo by shay