O’Reilly in 2008, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: William James O’Reilly, Jr.
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 10, 1949
Ethnicity:
*87.5% Irish
*12.5% mix of English and some French Huguenot
Bill O’Reilly is an American television personality, historian, writer, columnist, and political commentator. He was the host of the show The O’Reilly Factor from 1996 to 2017.
Bill is the son of Winifred Angela (Drake) and William James O’Reilly, Sr. He is of mostly Irish descent. One of his great-grandmothers had English, and some French Huguenot, roots, that trace back to Colonial America. Bill has two children with his former wife, public relations executive Maureen E. McPhilmy.
A DNA test taken by the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2016) stated that Bill’s genetic ancestry is:
*87.8% British & Irish
*9.2% Broadly European
*1.7% Scandinavian
*0.9% Iberian
*0.2% Finnish
*0.2% Unmatched
Bill’s paternal grandfather was John Joseph O’Reilly (the son of John J. O’Reilly and Isabelle/Isabella T. Sullivan). Bill’s grandfather John was born in New York. Bill’s great-grandfather John was born in Clonouse, County Cavan, Ireland, the son of John O’Reilly and Rose Fitzpatrick. Isabelle was born in New York, to Irish parents, Daniel Sullivan and Mary Donovan.
Bill’s paternal grandmother was Gertrude McLaughlin (the daughter of William McLaughlin and Alice Fitzpatrick/Fitzherbert). Gertrude was born in New York.
Bill’s maternal grandfather was Edward Cornelius Drake (the son of Edward M. Drake and Ella Angevine). Bill’s grandfather Edward was born in New York. Bill’s great-grandfather Edward was Irish, born in County Down. Ella was the daughter of Virgil J. Angevine and Frances Teleboshe Rowland, and had Colonial American ancestry, including English, and some French Huguenot.
Bill’s maternal grandmother was Winifred Margaret/Marie Kennedy (the daughter of William Kennedy and Margaret Kiley). Winifred was born in New York.
Sources: Genealogies of Bill O’Reilly – https://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com
Bill’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Bill’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Bill’s maternal grandfather, Edward Cornelius Drake, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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