Birth Name: Edwin Farnham Butler
Place of Birth: Truckee, California, United States
Date of Birth: April 14, 1980
Ethnicity: Danish (3/16ths), English, Irish, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, distant Dutch, 1/512th Portuguese, 1/4096th Powhatan Native American
Win Butler is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Arcade Fire.
Win is the son of Liza Rey Butler (Liza McBurney), a professional harpist, and Edwin Farnham Butler II, a geologist. His maternal grandfather was musician, bandleader, and actor Alvino Rey (Alvin Henry McBurney), and his maternal grandmother was singer Luise King (Louise Driggs), who was a member of the vocal group The King Sister, which consisted of her and her five siblings.
Win’s father’s ancestry is English, and some Irish. Win’s mother is if three eighths Danish, one eighth German, likely one eighth Irish, as well as English, Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), Scottish, Welsh, distant Dutch, 1/256th Portuguese (through his ancestor Jose/Joseph Rodrigues/Driggs), and 1/2048th Powhatan Native American (through his ancestor Princess Nicketti Powhatan), descent.
Win was raised in his mother’s Mormon faith.
Win’s paternal grandfather was Edwin Farnham Butler (the son of Arthur Pierce Butler and Lydia Raguet Farnham). Win’s great-grandfather Arthur was a teacher and educational administrator, who co-founded the Morristown School. Arthur was the son of Edward Knowles Butler and Frances Elizabeth Lewis Pierce.
Win’s paternal grandmother was Gladys Whitmore (the daughter of John Lawler Whitmore and Edna May Thompson). John was the son of William Holden Whitmore and Lucy Ella Lawler.
Win’s maternal grandfather was Alvin Henry McBurney (the son of Francis/Frank McBurney and Lilly/Lillie Star Cline). Frank was the son of Henry Alvin McBurney, who was likely of Irish descent, and Emma Hirsch, whose parents were German. Lilly was born in California, to Danish parents.
Win’s maternal grandmother was Louise Driggs (the daughter of William King Driggs and Pearl Caroline Mortensen). William had English, and 1/64th Portuguese, ancestry, and was the son of Benjamin Woodbury Driggs and Olivia Thankful Pratt, who was born in England, to American parents, Parley P. Pratt (Parley Parker Pratt), who was one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the in the Latter Day Saint movement, and Mary Ann Frost. Pearl was the daughter of Lars Pedersen Mortensen, who was Danish, from Hårbølle, Sjælland, Denmark, and Cornelia Lee, who was born in Illinois, of English, Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), Scottish, Welsh, distant Dutch, and 1/256th Powhatan Native American, descent.
Sources: Genealogies of Win Butler (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com/
http://gw.geneanet.org/
Obituary of Win’s paternal grandfather, Edwin Farnham Butler – http://bangordailynews.com/
Genealogy of Win’s great-grandfather, Arthur Pierce Butler –
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
Genealogy of Win’s paternal grandmother, Gladys Whitmore (through her brother, Tyler A. Whitmore) – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
Genealogies of Win’s maternal grandmother, Louise Driggs – https://www.geni.com/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/genealogy/records/lars-karleton-driggs_24959986
http://www.familycentral.net/index/family.cfm?ref1=4882:6&ref2=4882:7
Win’s maternal grandfather, Alvin Henry McBurney, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH38-4RB
Win’s great-grandfather, Francis/Frank McBurney, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6FT-W3X