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LOS ANGELES – FEB 08: Swift arrives to the Grammy Awards 2015 on February 8, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA, photo by DFree/bigstock.com
Birth Name: Taylor Alison Swift
Place of Birth: West Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of Birth: December 13, 1989
Ethnicity: German, English, some Irish, Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and Welsh, 1/16th Italian, as well as distant French, Swedish, Dutch, and Belgian Walloon
Taylor Swift is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and advocate for artists’ and women’s rights. A prominent cultural figure and one of the most successful musicians in history, she is known for autobiographical lyrics and stylistic reinventions. Her songs include “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Love Story,” “You Belong with Me,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “All Too Well,” “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Bad Blood,” “Look What You Made Me Do,” “Cardigan,” “Willow,” “Marjorie,” “Anti-Hero,” “Cruel Summer,” “Is It Over Now?,” and “Fortnight.” Having recorded in the genres country, rock, electronic, synth-pop, hip-hop, electropop, indie folk, alternative rock, and chill-out, Taylor has sold over 200 million records worldwide, and has been the most-streamed female artist on Spotify. Her The Eras Tour is the highest-grossing tour of all time. Her acting roles include the films Valentine’s Day (2010), Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax , The Giver , Cats (2019), and Amsterdam (2022). She has also appeared in the documentaries/concert films The 1989 World Tour Live , Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour , Miss Americana , Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions , which she directed; Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour , Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl , which she directed and wrote; and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show ; and in the mini-series Taylor Swift: The End of an Era . She has also been credited as Nils Sjöberg and under the banner, Taylor’s Version. She is 5′11″.
Taylor is the daughter of Andrea, a marketing executive, and Scott Swift, a stockbroker. Her brother is actor Austin Swift. She was raised partly in Wyomissing and Reading, Pennsylvania, the latter on a Christmas tree farm; and Hendersonville, Tennessee. Taylor is married to professional football player Travis Kelce .
Taylor is descended from a number of German immigrants to the United States, in the 1800s and earlier. Some of her ancestral lines also trace back to Colonial America of the 1600s, and to English immigrants of that time period. Aside from other German and English lines, her ancestry includes Irish, Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Welsh, one sixteenth Italian, and distant roots in France, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Belgium, with Walloon ancestors.
Taylor’s Swift lines traces to a William Swift, who was born, c. 1593, and lived in Bermondsey, England.
Taylor’s paternal grandfather was Lt. Col. Archie Dean Swift, Jr. (the son of Archie Dean Swift and Bernice Maude Thompson). Taylor’s grandfather Archie was born in Ridgway, Elk, Pennsylvania. Taylor’s great-grandfather Archie was born in North East, Erie, Pennsylvania, the son of Charles Julius/James Fox Swift and Josephine Reno; the Reno line originates with French ancestry. Taylor’s great-grandmother Bernice was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Willis Wilbur Thompson and Barbara Maria Jane “Jennie” Kingsley.
Taylor’s paternal grandmother was Rose Baldi Douglas (the daughter of Charles Gwynn Douglas and Louise Eurindine Baldi). Rose was born in Pennsylvania. Charles was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Charles Douglass/Douglas and Mary Gwynn, whose parents were from Derry, Ireland. Taylor’s great-grandmother Louise was born in Philadelphia, the daughter of Charles Carmine Antonio “C. C. A.” Baldi, who was Italian, born in Castelnuovo Cilento, Province of Salerno, Campania; and of his wife, Louisa/Louise Eurindine Sobernheimer, who was born in Pennsylvania, to German parents, Frederick Sobernheimer and Catherine Louise Hammel. Taylor is of 1/16th Italian ancestry. C. C. A. Baldi was a community leader, who organized a bank and owned a daily Italian-language newspaper, among other businesses.
Taylor’s maternal grandfather was Robert Bruce Finlay (the son of Lancelot George “Lance” Finlay and Eleanor A. “Ella” Mayer). Robert was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Lancelot was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, the son of George Finlay, who was born in Scotland or Ireland; and of an Irish-born mother, Emma Lynch. Taylor’s great-grandmother Eleanor was born in Dunkirk, Chautauqua, New York, the daughter of German parents, Julius Mayer, from Bavaria; and Delia Gunther.
Taylor’s maternal grandmother was Marjorie Finlay (born Marjorie Moehlenkamp, the daughter of Elmer Henry Moehlenkamp/Molencamp and Cora Lee Morrow). Marjorie was born in Tennessee, and was an opera singer and television personality. Elmer was born in St. Charles County, Missouri, the son of Henry J. Moehlenkamp, whose parents were from Bersenbrück, Hanover, Germany; and of Emma C. Bruns, whose father, and maternal grandparents, were also from Bersenbrück. Taylor’s great-grandmother Cora was born in Arkansas, the daughter of Sanford Hewitt Morrow and Sallie Wells Faulkner.
Taylor’s matrilineal line can be traced to Jane Worke Guy, who was born, c. 1806, in Virginia.
Swift in 2011, kathclick/bigstock.com
“The Silence Breakers” won Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2017, women speaking out about sexual harassment/abuse. Taylor was one of six persons chosen to represent that title on the magazine’s cover, along with Isabel Pascual, Adama Iwu, Ashley Judd , Susan Fowler, and a woman who chose to remain anonymous. Taylor was, in a solo context, Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023.
Taylor is a first cousin, once removed, of Charles Douglas III, who was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire, from 1989 to 1991. She is also a great-great-niece of politicians Charles Baldi, Jr. and Joseph Baldi.
Sources: Notations on Taylor’s Irish ancestry – https://www.rte.ie https://www.irishpost.com https://www.irishecho.com https://www.hotpress.com
Genealogies of Taylor Swift – http://famouskin.com http://familypedia.wikia.com https://www.geni.com http://www.wikitree.com http://gw.geneanet.org
Genealogies and obituaries of Taylor’s paternal grandparents, Lt. Col. Archie Dean Swift, Jr. and Rose Baldi Douglas – http://www.findagrave.com
Taylor’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Charles Carmine Antonio “C. C. A.” Baldi and Louisa/Louise Eurindine Sobernheimer, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Biography of Taylor’s Italian paternal great-great-grandfather, Charles Carmine Antonio “C. C. A.” Baldi – http://www.baldims.org
Obituary of Taylor’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Charles Carmine Antonio “C. C. A.” Baldi – http://www.pennsylvaniaburialcompany.com
Taylor’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Emma C. Bruns, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Taylor’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Eliza Sophia Juliana Sandfort, on the 1850 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org