Rita Hayworth
Birth Name: Margarita Carmen Cansino
Date of Birth: October 17, 1918
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Death: May 14, 1987
Place of Death: New York City, New York, U.S.
Ethnicity:
*father – Spanish [Andalusian]
*mother – Irish, smaller amounts of English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Czech [Bohemian], Dutch, and German
Rita Hayworth was an American actress and dancer.
Her father, Eduardo Cansino Reina, was a Spanish flamenco dancer, from Castilleja de la Cuesta, Andalusia, Spain.
Her mother, Volga Margaret (Hayworth), was of at least half Irish descent, with her other roots being English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Czech [Bohemian], Dutch, and German.
Rita had two children, a daughter with her former husband, actor and filmmaker Orson Welles; and a daughter, philanthropist Yasmin Aga Khan, with her former husband, Prince Aly Khan. Her nephew is actor Richard Cansino.
Rita’s father was said to have Sephardi Jewish ancestry to some degree. It is not clear if this Sephardi Jewish ancestry has been verified/documented. Many people of Spanish origin have Sephardi roots, and many people with the surname Cansino are of Jewish heritage. Rita is also sometimes described as having had Romani ancestry, without any particular evidence.
Rita’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced back to her sixth great-grandfather, Juan Cansino [Pérez], who was likely from Carmona, Seville.
Rita’s paternal grandfather was Juan Antonio Anselmo de los Dolores Cansino Avecilla (the son of Joaquín Cansino Espinal and María del Rosario Avecilla Ojeda). Juan was born in Paradas, Seville, Andalusia, Spain. Joaquín was the son of Vicente Cansino Hoyos and Clara Espinal. María del Rosario was the daughter of Miguel Avecilla and Bárbara Ojeda.
Rita’s paternal grandmother was Carmen Reina Montero (the daughter of José Reina Sánchez and Reyes Montero Espinal). José was the son of José Reina Calderón and Juana Sánchez. Rita’s great-great-grandfather José’s maternal great-grandfather, Cristóbal Elías Calderón Barrionuevo y de Orbaneja, was a Knight of the Order of Santiago. Rita’s great-grandmother Reyes was the daughter of Antonio Montero and Dolores Espinal.
Rita’s maternal grandfather was Allynn Duran Hayworth (the son of Barnabas L. Hayworth and Sarah Abigail Hunt). Allynn was born in Indiana. Barnabas was the son of Jeremiah Hayworth/Haworth and Elizabeth Cartwright. Sarah was the daughter of Nathan Hunt and Nancy Teague.
Rita’s maternal grandmother was Margaret Ellen O’Hare (the daughter of Patrick O’Hare and Bridget Magdalene Hennessy). Margaret was born in Washington, D.C., to Irish parents.
Sources: Notes on Rita’s mother’s ancestry – http://www.haworthassociation.org
Genealogies of Rita Hayworth – https://www.wikitree.com
https://familysearch.org
Genealogies of Rita Hayworth (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.findagrave.com
https://www.geni.com
https://wc.rootsweb.com
Rita’s mother on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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