Birth Name: Shailene Diann Woodley

Place of Birth: San Bernardino, California, United States

Date of Birth: November 15, 1991

Ethnicity:*father – English*mother – African-American, Louisiana Creole [African, French, Spanish, German], English, Swiss-German

Shailene Woodley is an American actress and activist. Her roles include The Descendants, The Spectacular Now, White Bird in a Blizzard, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

Shailene is the daughter of Lori and Lonnie Woodley. Her father, whose family is from the U.S. South, has English ancestry. Shailene’s maternal grandfather had African-American and Creole ancestry, and Shailene’s maternal grandmother has Louisiana Creole [including African, French, Spanish, and German] ancestry on one side of her family, and English and Swiss-German ancestry on the other side of her family.

Shailene’s paternal grandfather was Virgil James Woodley (the son of James Franklin Woodley and Velma L. Howard). Virgil was born in Oklahoma. Shailene’s great-grandfather James was the son of James Samuel Woodley and Julia Ann Arnold.

Shailene’s paternal grandmother was Dovie Oralee Sims (the daughter of Omer Epsy Sims and Eva Ellen Payne). Dovie was born in Texas. Omer was the son of Denton Otto Sims and Clara Florence Allen. Eva was the daughter of Hiram Walker Payne and Verdenia Maude Ellis.

Shailene’s maternal grandfather was Stephen David Victor (the son of Harold Joseph Victor and Bessie M. Harrold). Stephen was born in California. According to most censuses, both Harold and Bessie were Black and/or biracial (censuses list Harold and Bessie as black, and one census lists them as “Mulatto”). Harold was born in Louisiana, the son of Joseph Victor and Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, who were described as “colored” on his sister’s birth record, and “Black” on the U.S. Census and other records. Leila’s parents, Joseph Prudhomme and Lelia/Lilia Pope/Poper Lewis, were Louisiana Creole. Shailene’s great-grandmother Bessie was born in California, to Texas-born parents, William John/S./T. Harrold and Bessie Hutchins, who were both described as “colored” on her birth record and on censuses. Shailene’s great-great-grandmother Bessie’s parents were Lee Hutchins, who was said to have been born in England, of unclear background, and Georgia Walker, who was a black woman born in Texas.

Shailene’s maternal grandmother is Diane Lynn Fauria (the daughter of Vernon Louis Fauria and Marguerite Lois Davis). Diane was born in California. Vernon was a Louisiana Creole. Marguerite was caucasian. A picture of Vernon and Marguerite can be seen here.

Shailene’s great-grandfather Vernon Fauria was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and raised in Los Angeles. He was the son of Creole parents from Louisiana, who both had black ancestry, mixed with caucasian. Vernon’s father, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria, was of African, Spanish, French, and German descent. Vernon’s mother, Louise Aline Martinez, had Spanish, African, and possibly French, ancestry. A picture of Vernon with his siblings can be seen here. A picture of Vernon’s parents, Shailene’s great-great-grandparents Joseph and Aline, can be seen here. A picture of Shailene’s great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews Fauria (top left), with his own parents, Victor Nicholas/M. Fauria and Agnes Cora Zipple (seated), can be seen here.

Shailene’s great-grandmother Marguerite Davis’s father, Norman Edward Davis, was of British Isles/English ancestry. Maguerite’s mother, Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Evangeline/Evangelia/Perrengere/Berengere Perrin/Perrine, was Swiss, of Swiss-German descent, and was the daughter of Lewis O. Perrin and Berthe C. Hague. This makes Shailene Woodley of 1/16th Swiss ancestry.

Sources: Genealogies of Shailene Woodley –

Genealogy of Shailene Woodley (focusing on her father’s side) –

Genealogies of Shailene’s paternal grandparents, Virgil James Woodley and Dovie Oralee (Sims) Woodley –

Shailene’s maternal great-grandfather, Harold Joseph Victor, on the 1910 U.S. Census – Harold Joseph Victor on the 1920 U.S. Census –

Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-aunt (her great-grandfather Harold’s sister) –

Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, on the 1900 U.S. Census –

Re-marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, to William H. Harris –

Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia (Prudhomme) Harris, and Shailene’s step-great-great-grandfather, William H. Harris, on the 1940 U.S. Census –

Shailene’s maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Joseph Prudhomme and Lelia/Lilia Pope/Poper Lewis, on the 1880 U.S. Census –

Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Bessie M. Harrold (Bessie Herald) –

Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Bessie M. Harrold (Bessie Herald), on the 1920 U.S. Census – Bessie M. Harrold on the 1930 U.S. Census –

Death record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, William John/S./T. Harrold –

Death records of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Bessie (Hutchins) Harrold –

Genealogy of Shailene’s maternal grandmother, Diane Lynn Fauria –

Marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria and Louise Aline Martinez –

Pictures and genealogy of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria –

Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria, on the 1880 U.S. Census – Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria on the 1900 U.S. Census –

Death record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria –

Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Louise Aline Martinez –

Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Louise Aline Martinez, on the 1900 U.S. Census –

Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Marguerite Lois Davis, on the 1930 U.S. Census –

Marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Norman Edward Davis and Evangeline/Evangelia/Perrengere/Berengere Perrin/Perrine –

Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Evangeline/Evangelia/Perrengere/Berengere Perrin/Perrine, on the 1920 U.S. Census –