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Swinton in 2012, photo by kathclick /Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Katherine Matilda Swinton
Place of Birth: Westminster, London, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: 5 November, 1960
Ethnicity: Scottish, English, Northern Irish
Tilda Swinton is a British actress, performance artist, model, and fashion industry figure. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Michael Clayton (2007). Her roles also include the films Caravaggio , The Last of England , War Requiem , The Garden , Edward II (1991), Orlando (1992), Blue (1993), Female Perversions , Conceiving Ada , Love Is the Devil , The War Zone (1999), The Beach (2000), Possible Worlds , The Deep End , Vanilla Sky , Adaptation. , The Statement , Young Adam , Broken Flowers , Constantine , Thumbsucker , The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , Stephanie Daley , The Man from London , Julia (2008), Burn After Reading , The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , I Am Love , The Limits of Control , We Need to Talk About Kevin , Moonrise Kingdom , Only Lovers Left Alive , Snowpiercer , The Zero Theorem , The Grand Budapest Hotel , A Bigger Splash , Trainwreck , Hail, Caesar! ; Doctor Strange (2016), Letters from Baghdad , Okja , Isle of Dogs , Suspiria (2018), The Dead Don’t Die , The Personal History of David Copperfield , The Souvenir (2019), and its sequel; Memoria (2021), Three Thousand Years of Longing , The Eternal Daughter , Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022), Problemista , Asteroid City , The Killer (2023), The End (2024), The Room Next Door , Ballad of a Small Player , and Broken English (2025); and the series Galápagos . She has also been credited as Lutz Ebersdorf.
Tilda’s father, Major-General Sir John Swinton, was British, born in St. George Hanover Square, London, England, and had Scottish, English, and Northern Irish ancestry. Her mother, Judith Balfour, Lady Swinton (née Killen), was born in Merribee, Barellan, New South Wales, Australia, and also was of Northern Irish, Scottish, and English ancestry. Tilda’s paternal great-grandfather was Scottish politician and officer-of-arms George Swinton, and Tilda’s maternal great-great-grandfather was Scottish botanist John Hutton Balfour. The Swinton family is an ancient Anglo-Scots family that can trace its lineage to the Middle Ages. They are said to be one of three British Isles families that can trace their unbroken land ownership and lineage to before the Norman Conquest.
Tilda has two children, including actress Honor Swinton Byrne , with her former partner, Scottish playwright, artist, and designer John Byrne. She is related to American actress Alexa Swinton .
Tilda’s paternal grandfather was Alan Henry Campbell Swinton (the son of George Sitwell Campbell Swinton and Elizabeth “Elsie” Ebsworth). Alan was born in Chelsea, London, England. George was born in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, and was a politician and herald. He was the son of Archibald Campbell Swinton, an author, politician, and officer-of-arms, from Kimmerghame, Scotland; and of Georgiana Caroline Sitwell, from Derbyshire, England, whose own father was George Sitwell, 2nd Baron of Renishaw. Tilda’s great-grandmother Elizabeth was born in Russia, the daughter of Edward Henry Ebsworth, from Derbyshire, England; and of Josephine Mary Zoe Miller, from Midlothian, Scotland.
Tilda’s paternal grandmother was Marie/Mariora Beatrice Evelyn Rochfort Alers-Hankey (the daughter of Cecil George Herbert Alers-Hankey and Gertrude Clare Fetherstonhaugh). Marie/Mariora was born in Westhampnett, Sussex, England. Cecil was the son of Walter Childe Alers-Hankey, who was from Middlesex; and of Caroline Jane Anne Rochfort, who was from Hampshire. Tilda’s great-grandmother Gertrude was born in Charmouth, Dorsetshire, the daughter of Albany Fetherstonhaugh, who was from Penrith, Cumberland; and of Evelyn Gertrude Astell, who was from Kings Lynn, Norfolk.
Tilda’s maternal grandfather was Harold Charles Killen (the son of William Wilson Killen and Marion/Marian Young). Harold was born in Prahran, Victoria, Australia. William was the son of Edward Killen, from Ireland; and of Isabella Wilson, from Donegal, Ireland. Marion was born in Kyneton, Victoria, the daughter of Charles Young, from Antrim, Ireland; and of Annabella/Anne Lyle, from Down, Ireland.
Tilda’s maternal grandmother was Marion Spottiswood Balfour (the daughter of Andrew Francis Balfour and Mabel/Mabelle Alice Truman). Marion was born in Hoiles Cottages, Colinton, Edinburgh, Scotland. Andrew was born in Edinburgh, and was a Captain in the Royal Navy. He was the son of John Hutton Balfour, a prominent botanist and professor of botany, who was President of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club; and of Marion Spottiswood/Spotiswood Bayley, both from Midlothian, Scotland. Tilda’s great-grandmother Mabel was born in Hastings, Sussex, England, the daughter of Isaac Hodges Truman, from Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England; and of Mary Ann Musson, from Lenton, Bedfordshire, England.
Sources: Genealogies of Tilda Swinton – http://www.wikitree.com https://www.geni.com https://famouskin.com
Genealogy of Tilda Swinton (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.red1st.com