Profile Text
Van Halen in 2012, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Wolfgang William Van Halen
Place of Birth: Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: March 16, 1991
Ethnicity: Dutch, Italian, English, Indonesian [Javanese], smaller amounts of Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, German, distant Swedish
Wolfgang Van Halen is an American musician. He is the bassist of the rock band Van Halen. Wolfgang is the son of musician, songwriter, producer, and inventor Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli . His uncle is musician Alex Van Halen . Other members of Van Halen include/have included Michael Anthony , Sammy Hagar , David Lee Roth , his uncle, Alex, and his father, Eddie.
Wolfgang’s father was born in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and was of Dutch, Indonesian (Javanese), and 1/16th Italian, descent. He moved to Pasadena, California, with his family in 1962. His mother was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and is of Italian ancestry on her father’s side, and of English, with smaller amounts of Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and German, and distant Swedish, ancestry, on her mother’s side.
Wolfgang’s paternal grandfather was Jan van Halen (the son of Hermanus van Halen and Jannetje Berg). Jan was born in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands, and was a clarinetist, saxophonist, and pianist. Hermanus was born in Den Helder, North Holland, the son of Hermanus van Halen and Jacoba Maria Kamermans. Wolfgang’s great-grandmother Jannetje was born in Den Helder, the daughter of Jan Berg and Elizabeth Adriana Vink.
Wolfgang’s paternal grandmother was Eugenia van Beers (the daughter of Frans van Beers and Eugenie Rygelo Mafficioli del Castelletto). Wolfgang’s grandmother Eugenia was born in Rangkasbetoeng, on the island of Java, Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. She was Eurasian, and had Indonesian, Dutch, and one eighth Italian, ancestry. Frans was born in Bojonegoro, Bojonegoro, East Java, of Dutch and Indonesian descent, the son of Nicolaas van Beers, who was born in the Netherlands, and of Bidjie. Wolfgang’s great-grandmother Eugenie was born in Purworejo, Purworejo, Central Java, the daughter of Regolo Mafficioli del Casteletto/Castelletto, whose father was of Italian origin; and of Riobinem/Roebinem, who was Javanese.
Wolfgang’s maternal grandfather was Andrew Francis Bertinelli, Jr. (the son of Nazzareno Bertinelli and Angeline/Angelina Maddalena Maria Crossa/Crosa). Andrea was born in Carbondale, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, to Italian parents. Nazzareno was born in Scheggia, Province of Perugia, Umbria, the son of Andrea/Andrew Bertinelli and Adelia. Wolfgang’s great-grandmother Angeline was born in Sanremo, Imperia, the daughter of Francesco/Frank George Crossa and Maria Francesca “Mary” Possio, who herself was born in Lanzo Torinese, Province of Turin, Piedmont.
Wolfgang’s maternal grandmother was Nancy Lee Carvin (the daughter of Lester Vodges Carvin and Elizabeth Adams Chambers). Nancy was born in New Jersey. Lester was the son of Joseph Dyer Carvin, Jr. and Ida P. Gooden. Wolfgang’s great-grandmother Elizabeth was the daughter of Harry N. Chambers and Martha Jane Pierce.
A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2024) stated that Wolfgang’s mother Valerie’s genetic ancestry consists of:
*35% Scotland *29% Northern Italy *9% France *8% Southern Italy *7% Ireland *6% Sweden & Denmark *4% Greece & Albania *2% Germanic Europe
*35% Scotland *29% Northern Italy *9% France *8% Southern Italy *7% Ireland *6% Sweden & Denmark *4% Greece & Albania *2% Germanic Europe
Sources: Genealogies of Wolfgang Van Halen – https://www.geni.com http://www.wikitree.com
Genealogies of Wolfgang’s father – http://asaloesoel.igv.nl https://www.findagrave.com
Notes on Wolfgang’s mother’s family history – http://blogs.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Wolfgang’s mother (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://famouskin.com