publicity photo of West for film Night After Night, 1932

Birth Name: Mary Jane West

Date of Birth: August 17, 1893

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: November 22, 1980

Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Ethnicity:
*father – Irish, possibly English
*mother – German

Mae West was an American actress, singer, playwright, screenwriter, and comedian. She was known as a sex symbol.

Her father, John Patrick West, had Irish, and possibly English, ancestry. Her mother, Matilda “Tillie” (Delker/Doelger/Decker), was a German immigrant.

There is some speculation that Mae had African-American ancestry, on her father’s side, or Jewish ancestry, on her mother’s side. It is not clear if either of these lineages have been verified/documented. Mae’s maternal grandparents are buried in a Lutheran cemetery.

Mae’s paternal grandfather was named John Edwin West (the son of John West and Priscilla Arthur). Mae’s grandfather John was born in either New York or Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and may have had English ancestry.

Mae’s paternal grandmother was Mary Jane Copley (the daughter of Martin Copley and Julia Copple). Mary Jane was Irish.

Mae’s maternal grandfather was named Jakob/Jacob Delker (the son of Philip Delker and Christine). Jakob was German.

Mae’s maternal grandmother was named Christiana/Christina Brüning/Brimier. Christiana was German.

Sources: Louvish, Simon, 2006. Mae West: It Ain’t No Sin.

Family background of Mae West – http://www.adherents.com

Genealogy of Mae West – https://www.geni.com

Mae West on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Mae West on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Mae’s maternal grandfather, Jakob/Jacob Delker – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Mae’s maternal grandmother, Christiana/Christina (Brüning/Brimier) Delker – https://www.familysearch.org

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