Quick Facts
Tyra Banks Ethnicity, Race & Heritage: DNA Results, Family Background Explained
Quick answer: Tyra Banks is African-American. Her DNA test (AncestryDNA, confirmed on America's Next Top Model) revealed she is 79% African, 14% British, 6% Native American, and 1% Finnish. Both parents are African-American, with family roots in Louisiana and Texas.
What Is Tyra Banks' Ethnicity?
Tyra Banks is African-American. Both of her parents — Donald Banks and Carolyn London — are African-American, and she identifies firmly as a Black woman. However, her 2015 AncestryDNA test, conducted as part of America's Next Top Model, confirmed that her ethnic background is more complex than a single label suggests: 79% African, 14% British (consistent with centuries of colonial intermixing common in the American South), 6% Native American, and 1% Finnish.
Banks has spoken openly about her curiosity regarding her ancestry, saying she grew up knowing she was Black but wanting to understand the fuller story of what was "running through her veins."
Father's Side: African-American Roots
Tyra's father, Donald Banks, is a computer consultant of African-American descent. He was born and raised in the United States, and his family reflects the broader African-American experience rooted in the American South. Specific details about Tyra's paternal grandparents have not been made public.
Notable ancestral research has traced her lineage to James Chesley, a 4x great-grandfather who enlisted with the U.S. Colored Troops and fought in the Civil War — a significant historical connection to the African-American experience in the 19th century.
Mother's Side: Louisiana and Texas Heritage
Tyra's mother, Carolyn London (now London-Johnson), is a medical photographer. She is African-American with roots in Louisiana and Texas. Carolyn has been a prominent figure in Tyra's life; the two appeared together in media and have maintained a close public relationship.
Her maternal grandfather, Ernest London, was born in Louisiana. Her maternal grandmother, Florine B. Coleman, was born in Texas. These Southern roots are consistent with the DNA findings showing deep African ancestry alongside smaller percentages of British and Native American heritage — a pattern common in families from the Gulf Coast South.
Grandparents: A Complete Picture
Paternal Grandfather: Unknown — African-American
Paternal Grandmother: Unknown — African-American
Maternal Grandfather: Ernest London — African-American, born Louisiana
Maternal Grandmother: Florine B. Coleman — African-American, born Texas
DNA & Genetic Ancestry
Tyra Banks' AncestryDNA results, discussed on America's Next Top Model and confirmed by Ancestry.com's official blog, show:
- 79% African — primarily Sub-Saharan African ancestry
- 14% British — consistent with the history of the American South
- 6% Native American — likely from Indigenous peoples of the Southeast or Gulf Coast
- 1% Finnish — a trace percentage, possibly reflecting distant Northern European admixture
Banks described the results as "surprising" and said they changed how she thinks about her identity. The British and Native American percentages are not unusual for African-American families with deep roots in the antebellum South.
Son's Heritage: African-American & Norwegian
Tyra Banks never married. Her son, York Banks Asla, was born on January 8, 2016, via gestational surrogacy. His father is Erik Asla, a Norwegian photographer and visual artist born in Drammen, Norway. Asla is White and of Norwegian ethnicity. York was named partly for his mother's surname and partly for the city of New York.
York's heritage is therefore a blend of African-American (mother) and Norwegian (father). Banks and Asla ended their relationship when York was approximately a year old, but co-parent their son.
Tyra Banks in Her Own Words
"I'm a proud Black woman who was born in America. I'm proud of that, but I'm super curious as to what else is running through my veins." — Tyra Banks, America's Next Top Model / Ancestry.com, 2015
This quote came directly from the episode in which Banks unveiled her AncestryDNA results. The revelation of 6% Native American and 14% British ancestry prompted her to reflect on how history — enslavement, colonisation, and cultural mixing — had shaped her family tree in ways not visible from the outside.
Watch: Tyra Banks' Surprising DNA Test Results — Ancestry.com
Is Tyra Banks Alive?
Yes, Tyra Banks is alive. Born on December 4, 1973, she is currently 52 years old. She remains active in entertainment, business, and media, and made her return to the Victoria's Secret runway in 2024 after a decades-long absence.
Visual Family Tree
Tyra Lynne Banks
(African-American)
Donald Banks
(African-Am)
[Unknown]
(African-Am)
[Unknown]
(African-Am)
Carolyn London
(African-Am)
Ernest London
(Louisiana)
Florine B. Coleman
(Texas)
Sources
Interviews & Direct Quotes
- Tyra Banks Gets Surprising DNA Test Results — Ancestry.com
- Tyra Banks Discovers Inspiring Stories in Her Family's Past — Ancestry.com
Family Background
- Who Is Tyra Banks' Ex and Baby Daddy Erik Asla? — South China Morning Post
- Tyra Banks Ethnicity Bio — Arogundade.com
Genealogy & Ethnicity Research
- Tyra Banks — EthniCelebs.com
- [Tyra Banks — BlackPast.org](
EthniCelebrity Research Team
Ethnicity & Heritage Writers
Our team specialises in researching and documenting the ethnic backgrounds, nationality, and ancestry of public figures — drawing on genealogical records, interviews, and verified biographical sources.