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French Ancestry

LISTS

NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for
Jessica Alba
Actor
28-Apr-1981   Dark Angel
Joshua Alba
Actor
8-Jul-1982   Actor, brother of Jessica Alba
George Allen
Politician
8-Mar-1952   US Senator from Virginia, 2001-07
Prince of Asturias
Royalty
30-Jan-1968   Heir to the throne of Spain
John James Audubon
Naturalist
26-Apr-1785 27-Jan-1851 Illustrated Birds of America
Daniel Auteuil
Actor
24-Jan-1950   Jean de Florette
Adrienne Barbeau
Actor
11-Jun-1945   Swamp Thing
Klaus Barbie
Government
25-Oct-1913 25-Sep-1991 The Butcher of Lyon
John Barbirolli
Conductor
2-Dec-1899 29-Jul-1970 Conductor at The Hallé, 1943-70
Emile Baudot
Inventor
11-Sep-1845 28-Mar-1903 Baudot Code
Henri Becquerel
Physicist
15-Dec-1852 25-Aug-1908 Discoverer of radioactivity
Baruj Benacerraf
Scientist
29-Oct-1920 2-Aug-2011 Gene control of HLA antigens
Jessica Biel
Actor
3-Mar-1982   The Rules of Attraction
Theodore Bilbo
Government
13-Oct-1877 21-Aug-1947 Archangel of white supremacy
Alfred Binet
Psychologist
11-Jul-1857 8-Oct-1911 Binet-Simon intelligence test
Jacqueline Bisset
Actor
13-Sep-1944   The Deep
Samuel Blanc
Inventor
13-Feb-1883 20-Dec-1964 Founder of Roto-Rooter
Louis Blériot
Aviator
1-Jul-1872 2-Aug-1936 First to fly across English Channel
Léon Blum
Head of State
9-Apr-1872 30-Mar-1950 Thrice Prime Minister of France
Angela Bofill
Singer
3-May-1954   I Try
Charles J. Bonaparte
Government
9-Jun-1851 28-Jun-1921 US Attorney General, 1906-09
Paul Boucherot
Engineer
3-Oct-1869 7-Aug-1943 Ocean thermal energy conversion
Dion Boucicault
Playwright
26-Dec-1820 18-Sep-1890 The Corsican Brothers
Anthony Bourdain
Chef
25-Jun-1956   Kitchen Confidential
Daniel Bovet
Scientist
23-Mar-1907 8-Apr-1992 Anti-histamines, muscle relaxants, sulfanilamide
Paul D. Boyer
Chemist
31-Jul-1918   ATP process
Michelle Branch
Singer/Songwriter
2-Jul-1983   Are You Happy Now?
Danielle Brisebois
Actor
28-Jun-1969   Stephanie Mills on Archie Bunker's Place
Louis de Broglie
Physicist
15-Aug-1892 19-Mar-1987 Discovered the wave nature of electrons
Maurice de Broglie
Physicist
27-Apr-1875 14-Jul-1960 X-ray spectroscopy
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Engineer
9-Apr-1806 15-Sep-1859 Chief engineer of the Great Western Railway
Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
Naturalist
7-Sep-1707 16-Apr-1788 Histoire Naturelle
William C. Bullitt
Diplomat
25-Jan-1891 15-Feb-1967 US Ambassador to the USSR, 1933-36
Brooke Burke
TV Personality
8-Sep-1971   Co-Host, Dancing with the Stars
Fanny Burney
Novelist
13-Jun-1752 6-Jan-1840 Camilla
Albert Camus
Novelist
7-Nov-1913 4-Jan-1960 French author and Nobel laureate
Pierre Cardin
Fashion Designer
6-Jul-1922   Inventor of the "bubble dress"
Leslie Caron
Dancer
1-Jul-1931   Gigi
Élie Cartan
Mathematician
9-Apr-1869 6-May-1951 Spinor groups
Henri Cartan
Mathematician
8-Jul-1904 13-Aug-2008 Leader of the math Bourbakistes
Helena Bonham Carter
Actor
26-May-1966   Marla in Fight Club
Mary Cassatt
Painter
22-May-1843 14-Jun-1926 American impressionist, lived in Paris
Albert Champion
Business
2-Apr-1878 26-Oct-1927 ACDelco and Champion spark plugs
Lon Chaney
Actor
1-Apr-1883 26-Aug-1930 The Phantom of the Opera
Patricia Charbonneau
Actor
1959   Desert Hearts
Jean-Martin Charcot
Doctor
29-Nov-1825 16-Aug-1893 Father of neurology
King Charles II
Royalty
29-May-1630 6-Feb-1685 King of England 1660-85
David Charvet
Actor
15-May-1972   Matt Brody on Baywatch
G. K. Chesterton
Author
29-May-1874 14-Jun-1936 The Man Who Was Thursday
Louis Chevrolet
Auto Racing
25-Dec-1878 6-Jun-1941 Designed the first Chevrolet
André Citroën
Engineer
5-Feb-1878 3-Jul-1935 Europe's Henry Ford
Georges Claude
Chemist
24-Sep-1870 23-May-1960 Neon lighting
Voltairine de Cleyre
Anarchist
17-Nov-1866 20-Jun-1912 Anarchist without an adjective
J. M. G. Le Clézio
Novelist
13-Apr-1940   Nomadic novelist
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji
Physicist
1-Apr-1933   Trapped atoms with laser light
Alice Cooper
Musician
4-Feb-1948   No More Mr. Nice Guy
Pedro de Cordoba
Actor
28-Sep-1881 16-Sep-1950 The Ghost Breakers
André F. Cournand
Scientist
24-Sep-1895 19-Feb-1988 Cardiac catheterization
Odile Crick
Artist
11-Aug-1920 5-Jul-2007 Sketched the double helix
Walter Cronkite
Journalist
4-Nov-1916 17-Jul-2009 America's most trusted newscaster
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot
Inventor
26-Sep-1725 2-Oct-1804 Steam-powered automobile
Ann Curry
Journalist
19-Nov-1956   Dateline NBC Co-Host
Jean Dausset
Scientist
19-Oct-1916 6-Jun-2009 Recognition of HLA antigens
Alexa Davalos
Actor
28-May-1982   Defiance
Catherine de Medici
Royalty
13-Apr-1519 5-Jan-1589 De facto ruler of France, 1547-59
Eugene V. Debs
Labor Leader
5-Nov-1855 20-Oct-1926 Labor leader ran for President five times
Stephen Decatur
Military
5-Jan-1779 22-Mar-1820 US Naval commander, fought at Tripoli
Dido
Musician
25-Dec-1971   No Angel
Celine Dion
Singer
30-Mar-1968   Canadian diva
Paul Dirac
Physicist
8-Aug-1902 20-Oct-1984 The Principles of Quantum Mechanics
Thomas Dixon
Author
11-Jan-1864 3-Apr-1946 The Clansman
Wylie Dufresne
Chef
1970   WD-50
William F. Durand
Engineer
5-Mar-1859 9-Aug-1958 National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
James Duval
Actor
10-Sep-1972   Go
King Edward III
Royalty
13-Nov-1312 21-Jun-1377 King of England, 1327-77
Gustave Eiffel
Architect
15-Dec-1832 27-Dec-1923 Designer of Eiffel Tower
Shannon Elizabeth
Actor
7-Sep-1973   Nadia in American Pie 1 and 2
Robert F. Engle III
Economist
10-Nov-1942   Autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity
Robert Faurisson
Scholar
25-Jan-1929   French Holocaust denier
Brett Favre
Football
10-Oct-1969   Minnesota Vikings QB
Edmond H. Fischer
Scientist
6-Apr-1920   Protein phosphorylation
Gustave Flaubert
Novelist
12-Dec-1821 8-May-1880 Realist novelist, Madame Bovary
Walther Flemming
Biologist
21-Apr-1843 4-Aug-1905 Chromosomes and mitosis
Paul J. Flory
Chemist
19-Jun-1910 9-Sep-1985 Studied polymers
Ferdinand Foch
Military
2-Oct-1851 20-Mar-1929 Allied Supreme Commander WWI
Nikolai Fraiture
Bassist
13-Nov-1978   Bassist for The Strokes
Anatole France
Novelist
16-Apr-1844 13-Oct-1924 French novelist
Maurice Fréchet
Mathematician
2-Sep-1878 4-Jun-1973 Fréchet differential
John C. Fremont
Explorer
21-Jan-1813 13-Jul-1890 Conqueror of California
John C. Garand
Inventor
1-Jan-1888 16-Feb-1974 M-1 semiautomatic rifle
Lucretia Garfield
First Lady
19-Apr-1832 14-Mar-1918 Wife of US President James Garfield
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
Physicist
24-Oct-1932 18-May-2007 Molecular structure of polymers
Jack Germond
Columnist
30-Jan-1928   Fat Man in a Middle Seat
Gina Gershon
Actor
10-Jun-1962   Showgirls
André Gide
Author
22-Nov-1869 19-Feb-1951 Le Voyage d'Urien
Paul Gigot
Columnist
1955   Wall Street Journal columnist
Richard Gilder
Business
c. 1932   Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Aria Giovanni
Pornstar
3-Nov-1977   Softcore vixen, fetish & bondage model
Marvin J. Girouard
Business
c. 1939   Pier 1 Imports executive
Jean-Luc Godard
Film Director
3-Dec-1930   Vivre sa Vie
Dexter Gordon
Jazz Musician
27-Feb-1923 25-Apr-1990 Influential bop saxophonist
Eva Green
Actor
5-Jul-1980   The Dreamers
Charles Édouard Guillaume
Physicist
15-Feb-1861 13-Jun-1938 Invented alloys Invar and Elinvar
John Guillermin
Film Director
11-Nov-1925   The Bridge at Remagen
Alexander Hamilton
Government
11-Jan-1757 12-Jul-1804 Primary author of The Federalist Papers
Irene Handl
Actor
27-Dec-1901 29-Nov-1987 Matronly British character actor
Joanne Harris
Novelist
3-Jul-1964   Chocolat
Van Heflin
Actor
13-Dec-1910 23-Jul-1971 Till the Clouds Roll By
Jill Hennessy
Actor
25-Nov-1968   Crossing Jordan
King Henry VI
Royalty
6-Dec-1421 21-May-1471 King of England, 1422-61
Dudley R. Herschbach
Chemist
18-Jun-1932   Crossed molecular beam experiments
Jules A. Hoffmann
Biologist
2-Aug-1941   Innate immunity
Xaviera Hollander
Author
15-Jun-1943   The Happy Hooker
Sandrine Holt
Actor
19-Nov-1972   Black Robe
Howard Hughes
Business
24-Sep-1905 5-Apr-1976 Insane billionaire
François Jacob
Scientist
17-Jun-1920   Operon theory of genetic control
Kendra Jade
Pornstar
19-Apr-1977   Made sex tape with Jerry Springer
Karl Jansky
Astronomer
22-Oct-1905 14-Feb-1950 Radio waves from outer space
John Jay
Judge
12-Dec-1745 17-May-1829 First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Jeanne-Claude
Artist
13-Jun-1945 18-Nov-2009 Gift-wraps large monuments
Penn Jillette
Magician
5-Mar-1955   Talking half of the Penn and Teller duo
Joan of Arc
Religion
6-Jan-1412 30-May-1431 Maid of Orleans, burned at the stake
Marlène Jobert
Actor
4-Nov-1943   Masculin, féminin: 15 faits précis
Dr. John
Musician
21-Nov-1940   Right Place, Wrong Time
Frédéric Joliot
Physicist
19-Mar-1900 14-Aug-1958 Artificial radioactivity
Hubert Joly
Business
c. 1960   President & CEO of Carlson Companies
King Juan Carlos
Head of State
5-Jan-1938   King of Spain
Alfred Kastler
Physicist
3-May-1902 7-Jan-1984 Optical pumping
John La Farge
Painter
31-Mar-1835 14-Nov-1910 Painter, muralist, stained-glass designer
Jack La Lanne
Fitness Guru
26-Sep-1914 23-Jan-2011 Fitness guru
Neil LaBute
Film Director
19-Mar-1963   In the Company of Men
René Laënnec
Doctor
17-Feb-1781 13-Aug-1826 Stethoscope
Jules Laforgue
Poet
16-Aug-1860 20-Aug-1887 Pessimistic poet who inspired T. S. Eliot
Estée Lauder
Business
1-Jul-1908 24-Apr-2004 Cosmetics magnate
Alphonse Laveran
Doctor
18-Jun-1845 18-May-1922 Found the parasite that causes malaria
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Politician
20-Jun-1928   French nationalist
Eva Le Gallienne
Actor
11-Jan-1899 3-Jun-1991 New York Civic Repertory Theater
Vivien Leigh
Actor
5-Nov-1913 8-Jul-1967 Gone With The Wind
Luis Leloir
Chemist
6-Sep-1906 2-Dec-1987 Conversion of carbohydrates
Étienne Lenoir
Inventor
12-Jan-1822 4-Aug-1900 Internal-combustion engine
Jimmy John Liautaud
Business
12-Jan-1964   Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches
Frederick Lindemann
Government
5-Apr-1886 3-Jul-1957 Churchill's scientific and war advisor
Gabriel Lippmann
Physicist
16-Aug-1845 13-Jul-1921 Photographic color plate
Henry Demarest Lloyd
Journalist
1-May-1847 28-Sep-1903 Radical reporter
Raymond Loewy
Designer
5-Nov-1893 14-Jul-1986 Father of industrial design
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Comic
13-Jan-1961   Elaine on Seinfeld
William Louis-Dreyfus
Business
1932   Billionaire
Auguste Lumière
Inventor
19-Oct-1862 10-Apr-1954 Co-Inventor of motion pictures
Louis Lumière
Inventor
5-Oct-1864 6-Jun-1948 Inventor of motion pictures
Willem J. Luyten
Astronomer
7-Mar-1899 21-Nov-1994 Stellar mortician
André Lwoff
Scientist
8-May-1902 30-Sep-1994 Operon theory of genetic control
Dolley Madison
First Lady
20-May-1768 12-Jul-1849 Wife of US President James Madison
Jock Mahoney
Actor
7-Feb-1919 14-Dec-1989 Yancy Derringer
Louis Malle
Film Director
30-Oct-1932 23-Nov-1995 Atlantic City
Vanessa Marcil
Actor
15-Oct-1968   Gina Kinkaid on Beverly Hills 90210
Mary I of Scotland
Royalty
8-Dec-1542 8-Feb-1587 Mary, Queen of Scots
Chiara Mastroianni
Actor
28-May-1972   Diary of a Seducer
Carson McCullers
Author
19-Feb-1917 29-Sep-1967 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Charles Messier
Astronomer
26-Jun-1730 12-Apr-1817 Cataloguer of M objects
André Michelin
Business
16-Jan-1853 4-Apr-1931 Founder of Michelin Group
Kate Millett
Activist
14-Sep-1934   Sexual Politics
Yvette Mimieux
Actor
8-Jan-1942   Where the Boys Are
Henri Moissan
Chemist
28-Sep-1852 20-Feb-1907 Isolated fluorine
Molière
Playwright
15-Jan-1622 17-Feb-1673 Tartuffe, Le Misanthrope
Jean Moulin
Government
20-Jun-1899 8-Jul-1943 Martyr of the French Resistance
Alison Moyet
Musician
18-Jun-1961   Songwriter and vocalist for Yazoo
Condé Nast
Business
26-Mar-1873 19-Sep-1942 Founder of Condé Nast Publications
Nicéphore Niépce
Chemist
7-Mar-1765 5-Jul-1833 Inventor of photography
Anaïs Nin
Author
21-Feb-1903 14-Jan-1977 Diary of Anaïs Nin
David Niven
Actor
1-Mar-1909 29-Jul-1983 Pencil-moustachioed actor
Mabel Normand
Actor
16-Nov-1892 22-Feb-1930 Tillie's Punctured Romance
France Nuyen
Actor
31-Jul-1939   The Joy Luck Club
Chuck Palahniuk
Author
21-Feb-1962   Fight Club
Ara Parseghian
Football
10-Mar-1923   Head Coach, Notre Dame, 1964-74
Blaise Pascal
Mathematician
19-Jun-1623 19-Aug-1662 French thinker and mathematician
Elizabeth Paté-Cornell
Educator
17-Aug-1948   Risk analysis expert, Stanford professor
Nicholas Claude Fabri de Peiresc
Astronomer
1-Dec-1580 24-Jun-1637 Discovered Orion Nebula
Gigi Perreau
Actor
6-Feb-1941   Has Anybody Seen My Gal
John J. Pershing
Military
13-Sep-1860 15-Jul-1948 General of the Armies of the United States
Armand Peugeot
Business
26-Mar-1849 2-Jan-1915 Built the first Peugeot automobiles
Philippe Pinel
Psychiatrist
20-Apr-1745 25-Oct-1826 Unchained the insane
Julius Plücker
Mathematician
16-Jul-1801 22-May-1868 Analytical geometry
Elena Poniatowska
Journalist
19-May-1932   Mexican feminist writer, journalist
Éleuthère Irénée du Pont
Business
24-Jun-1771 31-Oct-1834 Founder of DuPont
Pierre Poujade
Activist
1-Dec-1920 27-Aug-2003 French anti-tax crusader
Maggie Q
Actor
22-May-1979   Mission: Impossible III
Rael
Hoaxer
30-Sep-1946   UFO cult leader maintains cloning laboratory
Prince Rainier
Royalty
31-May-1923 6-Apr-2005 Monarch of Monaco, 1949-2005
Henry J. Raymond
Journalist
24-Jan-1820 19-Jun-1869 Co-Founder of The New York Times
Erich Maria Remarque
Novelist
22-Jun-1898 25-Sep-1970 All Quiet on the Western Front
Louis Renault
Engineer
15-Feb-1877 24-Oct-1944 Founder of Renault
Jesse W. Reno
Inventor
4-Aug-1861 2-Jun-1947 Invented the escalator
Auguste Renoir
Painter
25-Feb-1841 3-Dec-1919 Le Bal au Moulin de la Galette
Franz Reuleaux
Mathematician
30-Sep-1829 20-Aug-1905 Father of modern kinematics
King Richard the Lionheart
Head of State
8-Sep-1157 6-Apr-1199 King of England, 1189-99
Charles Richet
Scientist
26-Aug-1850 4-Dec-1935 Studied anaphylaxis and ectoplasm
Alain Robert
Daredevil
7-Aug-1962   Climbs skyscrapers with his bare hands
George Rockwell
Activist
9-Mar-1918 25-Aug-1967 Founded American Nazi Party
Rod La Rocque
Actor
20-Nov-1898 15-Oct-1969 Braveheart
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Philosopher
28-Jun-1712 2-Jul-1778 Conceptualized the Social Contract
Athina Onassis Roussel
Relative
Jan-1985   Daughter of Christina Onassis
Raymond Rubicam
Business
16-Jun-1892 8-May-1978 Co-Founder, Young and Rubicam
Yves Saint Laurent
Fashion Designer
1-Aug-1936 1-Jun-2008 Christian Dior protege
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Sculptor
1-Mar-1848 3-Aug-1907 Leading 19th c. American sculptor
Pierre Salinger
Journalist
14-Jun-1925 16-Oct-2004 Former ABC News Correspondent
Deborah Sampson
Military
17-Dec-1760 29-Apr-1827 Woman who fought in US Revolutionary War
Kiele Sanchez
Actor
13-Oct-1977   Callie Cargill on The Glades
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Military
21-Feb-1794 21-Jun-1876 Hero of Tampico
Nicolas Sarkozy
Politician
28-Jan-1955   President of France, 2007-12
Andrew V. Schally
Scientist
30-Nov-1926   Hypothalamic hormones (brain peptides)
Jan Smuts
Politician
24-May-1870 11-Sep-1950 South African Prime Minister
Leelee Sobieski
Actor
10-Jun-1983   Eyes Wide Shut
Edward Sorin
Religion
6-Feb-1814 31-Oct-1893 Founder, University of Notre Dame
Robert Strausz-Hupé
Diplomat
25-Mar-1903 24-Feb-2002 US Ambassador to Turkey, 1981-89
Igor Stravinsky
Composer
17-Jun-1882 6-Apr-1971 The Rite of Spring
Violette Szabo
Spy
26-Jun-1921 5-Feb-1945 British secret agent, fought with French Resistance
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Philosopher
1-May-1881 10-Apr-1955 The Phenomenon of Man
Frederick Terman
Scientist
7-Jun-1900 19-Dec-1982 Stanford Research Park
Lewis Terman
Psychologist
15-Jan-1877 21-Dec-1956 Intelligence tests
Charlize Theron
Actor
7-Aug-1975   Monster
D'Arcy Thompson
Biologist
2-May-1860 21-Jun-1948 On Growth and Form
Henry David Thoreau
Author
12-Jul-1817 6-May-1862 Walden
Georges Gilles de la Tourette
Doctor
30-Oct-1857 26-May-1904 Tourette's syndrome
François Truffaut
Film Director
6-Feb-1932 21-Oct-1984 Last Metro
Letitia Tyler
First Lady
12-Nov-1790 10-Sep-1842 First wife of US President John Tyler
Rudolph Valentino
Actor
6-May-1895 23-Aug-1926 Latin lover of the silent film era
Agnès Varda
Film Director
30-May-1928   Cleo from 5 to 7
Leonor Varela
Actor
29-Dec-1972   Innocent Voices
Emmanuelle Vaugier
Actor
23-Jun-1976   Dr. Helen Bryce on Smallville
Jacques Vergès
Attorney
5-Mar-1925   Attorney specializing in defense of monsters
Vincent du Vigneaud
Chemist
18-May-1901 11-Dec-1978 Synthesized vasopressin and oxytocin
Louis Wain
Painter
5-Aug-1860 4-Jul-1939 The Man Who Drew Cats
Martha Washington
First Lady
2-Jun-1731 22-May-1802 Wife of US President George Washington
Alfred Werner
Chemist
12-Dec-1866 15-Nov-1919 Coordination theory of chemistry
Tina Weymouth
Bassist
22-Nov-1950   Bassist for Talking Heads
Daniel Wildenstein
Business
11-Sep-1917 23-Oct-2001 Wildenstein & Company
Lambert Wilson
Actor
3-Aug-1958   The Merovingian
Peter Wyngarde
Actor
23-Aug-1933   Jason King
Charlyne Yi
Comic
4-Jan-1986   Dr. Park on House
Frank Zappa
Composer
21-Dec-1940 4-Dec-1993 Joe's Garage
Rolf M. Zinkernagel
Scientist
6-Jan-1944   T-cells and antigens
Hans Zinsser
Scientist
17-Nov-1878 4-Sep-1940 Typhus vaccine


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