Elizabeth Taylor Ethnicity: English, Swiss-German and American Background Explained

Quick answer: Elizabeth Taylor was of predominantly English descent, with Swiss-German, Scots-Irish, French, Dutch, and Welsh ancestry. Born in London to American parents from Kansas, she grew up in the United States and converted to Judaism in 1959 — a faith she identified with deeply for the rest of her life.

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What Is Elizabeth Taylor's Ethnicity?

Elizabeth Taylor was of predominantly English ancestry, with her colonial American family roots extending back to the 1600s. Additional strands include Swiss-German (from a maternal great-grandfather who immigrated from Switzerland), Scots-Irish, French, and more distant Dutch and Welsh heritage. She was born in London to American parents and raised as a Christian Scientist before converting to Judaism in 1959.

Though not ethnically Jewish by birth, Taylor's conversion was heartfelt and lasting. She took the Hebrew name Elisheba Rachel and identified herself as a Jew for the remaining five decades of her life. She famously stated "I am Jewish" when her identity was questioned, and she became a prominent figure in the Jewish community.

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Father's Side: English-American Heritage

Elizabeth's father, Francis Lenn Taylor (1897–1968), was an American art dealer of English descent. He was born in Arkansas City, Kansas, with deep colonial American English roots. His mother — and Elizabeth's namesake — was Elizabeth Mary (Rosemond) Taylor, from whom Elizabeth received both her first and middle name.

Francis was a successful art dealer who moved his family to London and later to Los Angeles in 1939, setting the stage for Elizabeth's Hollywood discovery at age seven.

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Mother's Side: English and Swiss-German Heritage

Elizabeth's mother, Sara Sothern (born Sara Viola Warmbrodt, 1895–1994), was an actress from Arkansas City, Kansas, who used a stage name professionally. She was of English, Scots-Irish, and Swiss-German descent. Her father, Samuel Sylvester Warmbrodt, had a Swiss-German father — Samuel Warmbrodt, who had immigrated from Switzerland — giving Sara, and thus Elizabeth, a Continental European thread in her genealogy. Sara's mother was Elizabeth Ann (née Wilson), of English-American stock.

Sara Sothern was Elizabeth's most formative influence and outlived her famous daughter, dying in 1994 at age 99.

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Grandparents: A Complete Picture

Paternal Grandfather: Unknown Taylor — English-American, Kansas

Paternal Grandmother: Elizabeth Mary Rosemond Taylor — English-American; Elizabeth Taylor's namesake

Maternal Grandfather: Samuel Sylvester Warmbrodt — English/Scots-Irish/Swiss-German; his own father emigrated from Switzerland

Maternal Grandmother: Elizabeth Ann Wilson — English-American, Kansas

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Religion & Heritage

Elizabeth Taylor converted to Judaism on March 27, 1959 — not for marriage, as was commonly assumed, but out of personal spiritual conviction. She had studied Judaism intensively for seven months before her formal conversion, taking the Hebrew name Elisheba Rachel. She was clear: "Neither Mike Todd nor Eddie Fisher did anything to encourage me to become a Jew. It was something I had wanted to do for a long time." She described her connection to Jewish history: "I felt terribly sorry for the suffering of the Jews during the war. I was attracted to their heritage. I guess I identified with them as underdogs." She wore a Star of David publicly, used her fame to raise funds for Jewish causes, and regarded Jewish identity as a core part of who she was until her death in 2011.

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Elizabeth Taylor in Her Own Words

"I felt terribly sorry for the suffering of the Jews during the war. I was attracted to their heritage. I guess I identified with them as underdogs." — Elizabeth Taylor, quoted by biographer Kitty Kelley

She also said, upon completing her conversion: "I feel as if I have been a Jew all my life." When Richard Burton once questioned her Jewish identity, she reportedly told him "I am Jewish" and demanded he leave. Her identification with Judaism went far beyond the ceremonial, shaping her advocacy work and personal identity for over fifty years.

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Is Elizabeth Taylor Alive?

No — Elizabeth Taylor passed away on March 23, 2011, in Los Angeles, California, from congestive heart failure. She was 79 years old. She remains one of the most iconic figures in cinema history.

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Visual Family Tree

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Sources

Religion & Jewish Identity

• A Jew by Choice: Elizabeth Taylor — The Forward, 2011
• The Self-Mythology of Elizabeth Taylor — Jewish Women's Archive
• March 27: Elizabeth Taylor Converts to Judaism — Jewish Currents

Genealogy & Ethnicity Research

• Meet the Taylors: How Elizabeth's Family Landed in Los Angeles — ElizabethTaylor.com
• Elizabeth Taylor Genealogy — Geni.com

Family Background