View source for Family of Joe Biden

{{short description|American presidential family}}<!-- This description is intentionally set to none per WP:SDNONE -->
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{redirect|The Bidens|the plant genus|Bidens{{!}}''Bidens''}}
{{Infobox family
| image = President Joe Biden swearing in ceremony.jpg
| imagecaption = [[Joe Biden]], surrounded by members of his family, as he takes the presidential [[oath of office]] at his [[Inauguration of Joe Biden|inauguration ceremony]] in 2021
| region = [[Greenville, Delaware]]
| members = {{flatlist|
* [[Joe Biden]]
* [[Jill Biden]]
* [[Beau Biden]]
* [[Hunter Biden]]
* [[Ashley Biden]]
}}
| connectedmembers = {{plainlist|
* [[Neilia Hunter Biden]]
* [[Valerie Biden Owens]]
* [[Hallie Olivere Biden]]
* [[Howard Krein]]
* [[Edward Francis Blewitt]]
* Melissa Cohen Biden
* [[Rob Kearney]]
* [[Dave Kearney]]
}}
| titles = {{Collapsible list
 | [[President of the United States]]
 | [[First Lady of the United States]]
 | [[Vice President of the United States]]
 | [[Second Lady of the United States]]
 | [[United States Senator]] from [[Delaware]]
 | [[Attorney General of Delaware]]
 | [[New Castle County|New Castle County Council Member]]
}}
}}
{{Joe Biden series|expanded=Personal}}
The family of [[Joe Biden]], the 46th [[president of the United States]], includes members prominent in law, education, activism and politics. Biden's immediate family was the [[First Family of the United States|first family of the United States]] from 2021 to 2025 during [[Presidency of Joe Biden|Biden's presidency]]. They were also the second family of the United States from 2009 to 2017 during [[Vice presidency of Joe Biden|Biden's vice presidency]] under [[Barack Obama]]. Biden's family is mostly descended from the [[British Isles]], with most of their ancestors coming from [[Irish people|Ireland]] and [[English people|England]], and a smaller number descending from the French.<ref name="Smolenyak">{{cite news |url=https://irishamerica.com/2013/03/joey-from-scranton-vice-president-bidens-irish-roots/ |title=Joey From Scranton – Vice President Biden's Irish Roots |magazine=[[Irish America (magazine)|Irish America]] |date=April–May 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2020 |last=Smolenyak|first=Megan|author-link=Megan Smolenyak}}</ref><ref name="witcover"/>

Of Biden's sixteen great-great-grandparents, ten of them were born in Ireland. He is descended from the Blewitts of [[County Mayo]] and the Finnegans of [[County Louth]].<ref>Matt Viser, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-irish-st-patricks/2021/03/17/6b59390c-8740-11eb-8a8b-5cf82c3dffe4_story.html Irish humor, Irish temper: How Biden's identity shapes his political image], ''Washington Post'' (March 17, 2021).</ref> One of Biden's great-great-great-grandfathers was born in Sussex, England, and emigrated to [[Maryland]] in the United States by 1820.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Marshall |first=Olivia |title=US presidential candidate Joe Biden has roots in Sussex |url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/18842458.us-presidential-candidate-joe-biden-roots-sussex/ |date=November 3, 2020 |work=[[The Argus (Brighton)|The Argus]] |access-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref>

In the closing months of the Biden administration, several members of his family, including his son, his siblings and his in-laws, were issued presidential pardons.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-biden-pardons-family-members-final-minutes-presidency/story?id=117893348 |title=President Biden pardons family members in final minutes of presidency
|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]
|author1=Michelle Stoddart 
|author2=Lucien Bruggeman
|date=January 20, 2025}}</ref>

==Wives==
===Neilia Hunter Biden===
{{Main|Neilia Hunter Biden}}
Neilia Hunter Biden, the first wife of Joe Biden, was born on July 28, 1942. The couple married on August 27, 1966.<ref name="JBM6Y">{{cite news |title=Joe Biden Was Married To His First Wife, Neilia Hunter, For Only 6 Years |url=https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a32440131/joe-biden-first-wife-neila-hunter/ |work=Women's Health |date=May 13, 2020 |access-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref> After the wedding, the Bidens moved to [[Wilmington, Delaware]], where Biden was on the [[New Castle County]] Council. The couple had three children: [[Beau Biden|Joseph Robinette "Beau" III]], [[Hunter Biden|Robert Hunter]], and Naomi Christina "Amy".<ref>{{cite news |author1=Sarika Jagtiani |author2=Meredith Newman |author3=Andrew Sharp |date=September 25, 1019 |title=Hunter Biden: A brief bio of former Vice President Joe Biden's son |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/25/hunter-biden-dealings-ukraine-his-personal-life/2439165001/ |work=The News Journal |location=Wilmington, Delaware |access-date=July 28, 2020}}</ref> Biden campaigned to unseat the U.S. Senator from Delaware [[J. Caleb Boggs]]; Neilia was described by ''The News Journal'' as the "brains" of his victorious campaign.<ref name="JBM6Y" />

On December 18, 1972, while her husband was still a U.S. senator-elect, Neilia was driving with Naomi, Beau, and Hunter to buy a [[Christmas tree]]. Neilia "drove into the path" of a [[tractor-trailer]], "possibly because her head was turned and she didn't see the oncoming truck".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hamilton |first1=Carl |title=Daughter of man in '72 Biden crash seeks apology from widowed Senator |url=https://www.newarkpostonline.com/news/local/daughter-of-man-in-72-biden-crash-seeks-apology-from-widowed-senator/article_6c9a477e-63be-561b-b771-1330b4cda02d.html |website=www.newarkpostonline.com |publisher=Newark Post |access-date=29 July 2023 |location=New Jersey |language=en |date=30 October 2008}}</ref> Neilia and the children were taken to [[Wilmington General Hospital]]. Neilia and Naomi died upon arrival, but her two sons survived with serious injuries.<ref name="MJJBH">{{cite news |last1=McBride |first1=Jessica |date=April 25, 2019 |title=How Did Joe Biden's First Wife, Neilia Hunter, Die? |work=Heavy.com |url=https://heavy.com/news/2019/04/joe-biden-first-wife-die-death/ |access-date=July 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Macon |first1=Alexandra |title=Joe and Jill Biden's Love Story Will Pull at Your Heartstrings |date=November 17, 2016 |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/joe-jill-biden-love-story-pull-heartstrings |work=Vogue |access-date=July 28, 2020}}</ref> Biden was [[Oath|sworn in]] to the U.S. Senate on January 3, 1973, at the hospital where his sons were being treated.<ref name="JBM6Y" />

===Jill Biden===
{{Main|Jill Biden}}

Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (née Jacobs, formerly Stevenson), the second and current wife of Joe Biden, was born on June 3, 1951. She met Biden on a [[blind date]] in March 1975.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/157697992/?terms=jill%2Bbiden | title=Son told Joe to marry Jill | author-first=Al | author-last=Cartwright | newspaper=[[The News Journal|Wilmington News-Journal]] | date=July 17, 1977 | page=3 | via=[[Newspapers.com]] | access-date=March 8, 2020 | archive-date=July 29, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729221845/https://www.newspapers.com/image/157697992/?terms=jill+biden | url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Joe and Jilly Biden early photo.jpg|thumb|right|Joe and Jill, soon after meeting in the 1970s]]

She and Joe Biden were married by a Catholic priest on June 17, 1977, at the [[Chapel at the United Nations]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite book|first=Joe|last=Biden|title=Promises to Keep|publisher=Random House|year=2007|isbn=978-1-4000-6536-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/promisestokeepon00joeb/page/117 117]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/promisestokeepon00joeb/page/117}}</ref> This was four and a half years after his first wife and infant daughter died;<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20080827_Colleagues_see_a_caring__giving_Jill_Biden.html | title=Colleagues see a caring, giving Jill Biden | author=Farrell, Joelle | newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] | date=August 27, 2008 | access-date=August 28, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080901030119/http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20080827_Colleagues_see_a_caring__giving_Jill_Biden.html | archive-date=September 1, 2008 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Joe had proposed several times before she accepted, as she was wary of entering the public spotlight, anxious to remain focused on her own career, and initially hesitant to take on the commitment of raising his two young sons who had survived the accident.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://legacy.vogue.com/magazine/article/jill-bidenbrall-the-vice-presidents-women/ | title=All the Vice-President's Women | author=Van Meter, Jonathan | magazine=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]] | date=November 2008 | access-date=August 31, 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://archive.today/20140831054148/http://legacy.vogue.com/magazine/article/jill-bidenbrall-the-vice-presidents-women/ | archive-date=August 31, 2014 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/us/politics/joe-jill-biden-2020.html | title=In Iowa, a Former Second Lady Campaigns to Be the First | author-first=Katie | author-last=Glueck | author2-first=Steve | author2-last=Eder | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=February 2, 2020 | page=A16 | access-date=February 12, 2020 | archive-date=July 19, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719231401/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/us/politics/joe-jill-biden-2020.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Children==
{{See also|List of children of presidents of the United States#Joe Biden}}

Joe Biden fathered four children from two marriages. His firstborn daughter (third child), Naomi Christina Biden, died in December 1972, in the same car accident as her mother. His firstborn son and first child, Joseph "Beau" R. Biden III, died in May 2015 from [[glioblastoma|brain cancer]]. The Bidens' two surviving children include one son from his first marriage, Robert Hunter Biden, and one daughter from his second, [[Ashley Biden|Ashley Blazer Biden]].<ref name=":0" />

===Beau Biden===
{{Main|Beau Biden}}

Joseph "Beau" Robinette Biden III was born on February 3, 1969, in Wilmington, Delaware. Beau suffered multiple broken bones in the car crash that killed his mother and sister, but he survived after spending several months in a hospital. Beau went on to graduate from [[Archmere Academy]], his father's high school alma mater, and the [[University of Pennsylvania]] in 1991,<ref>{{cite news|first=Avni |last=Kataria |url=https://www.thedp.com/article/2017/11/joe-biden-upenn-philadelphia-trump-elections-politics-professor-highered |title=Penn students were moved to tears by Joe Biden's stories of loss and grief on Thursday|work=[[The Daily Pennsylvanian]] |date=November 16, 2017 |access-date=September 30, 2020}}</ref> where he was a member of the [[Psi Upsilon]] fraternity.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/politics/20150531_Penn_frat_brothers_recall_Beau_Biden_with_affection.html|title=Penn frat brothers recall Beau Biden with affection| work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=May 31, 2015|first=Dan|last=Spinelli}}</ref> He was also a graduate of [[Syracuse University College of Law]], as was his father. After graduating from law school, he [[Law clerk|clerked]] for Judge [[Steven McAuliffe]] of the United States District Court of New Hampshire.<ref>{{cite news|title=Beau Biden, late son of the vice president, clerked for a year in Concord|url=http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/1064915-469/beau-biden-late-son-of-the-vice.html|work=[[The Nashua Telegraph]]|date=June 2, 2015|first=David|last=Brooks|access-date=June 5, 2016}}</ref> From 1995 to 2004, he worked at the [[United States Department of Justice]] in Philadelphia, first as Counsel to the Office of Policy Development and later as a federal prosecutor in the [[United States Attorney|U.S. Attorney's Office]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chase |first1=Randall |title=Beau Biden dies at 46; son of VP had life of adversity |url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-biden-cabinet-campaigns-beau-biden-cd7d717ab72b486a946602ca6c27280c |access-date=March 30, 2021 |work=Associated Press |date=May 31, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Syracuse University: Office of Veteran and Military Affairs |title=Joseph "Beau" Biden III - OVMA |url=https://veterans.syr.edu/news/joseph-beau-biden-iii/ |access-date=March 30, 2021 |work=veterans.syr.edu |date=February 7, 2010 }}</ref>

He married [[Hallie Olivere Biden|Hallie Olivere]] in 2002.<ref name=VeryJewish/>

In his first bid at political office, Biden ran for [[Attorney General of Delaware]] in 2006. Biden's opponent was a veteran state prosecutor and Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ferris Wharton. Major issues in the campaign included the candidates' experience and proposed efforts to address sex offenders, Internet predators, senior abuse and domestic abuse. Biden won the election by approximately five percentage points.<ref>{{cite report |title=State of Delaware 2006 Election Results |publisher=State of Delaware |department=Delaware Department of Elections |page=2 |url=http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/2006g/2006_results_book.pdf |access-date=February 17, 2015 |date=November 7, 2006 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064116/http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/2006g/2006_results_book.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Beau played an active role in his father's 2008 vice presidential campaign, speaking at the [[2008 Democratic National Convention|Democratic National Convention]] after Joe Biden was nominated for Vice President of the United States. He recounted the auto accident that killed his mother and sister and the subsequent parenting commitment his father made to his sons, a speech at which many delegates wept.<ref>{{cite news|title=Biden shows more bark than bite|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7585384.stm|work=[[BBC News]]|date= August 28, 2008|first=Kevin|last=Connolly|access-date=May 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Biden Opens New Phase With Attack on McCain|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28biden.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 28, 2008|first=John M.|last=Broder|access-date=May 7, 2014}}</ref>

On November 2, 2010, he was easily reelected to a second term as Delaware Attorney General, beating [[Independent Party of Delaware]] candidate Doug Campbell by a large margin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/election.shtml|title=State Of Delaware – Elections Results|publisher=delaware.gov|access-date=May 31, 2015}}</ref>

For the final few years of his life, Biden suffered from a brain tumor.<ref name="Kane" /><ref name="Shearmay">{{cite news |first=Michael D. |last=Shearmay |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/us/politics/joseph-r-biden-iii-vice-presidents-son-dies-at-46.html |title=Joseph R. Biden III, Vice President's Son, Dies at 46 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 30, 2015}}</ref> In May 2010, he was admitted to [[Christiana Hospital]] in [[Newark, Delaware]], after complaining of a headache, numbness, and paralysis. Officials said he had suffered a "mild stroke".<ref name="Shearmay" /><ref name="Barish">{{cite news |first=Cris |last=Barish |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/08/21/beau-biden-awaits-cancer-results/2680405/ |title=Beau Biden awaits cancer results |location=Wilmington, Del. |newspaper=[[The News Journal]] |date=August 21, 2013}}</ref> Later that month, Biden was transferred to [[Thomas Jefferson University Hospital]] in [[Philadelphia]] and kept for observation for several days.<ref name="Barish" />

In August 2013, Biden was admitted to the University of Texas [[MD Anderson Cancer Center]] in Houston and diagnosed with brain cancer, after experiencing what [[White House]] officials called "an episode of disorientation and weakness".<ref>{{cite news |first=Lenny |last=Bernstein |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/05/31/brain-cancers-like-beau-bidens-kill-about-15000-adults-each-year/ |title=Brain cancers like Beau Biden's kill about 15,000 adults each year |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 31, 2015}}</ref> A lesion was removed at that time. Biden had radiation and chemotherapy treatments and the cancer remained stable. On May 20, 2015, he was admitted to [[Walter Reed National Military Medical Center]] in Bethesda, Maryland, because of a recurrence of brain cancer. He died there ten days later, on May 30, 2015, at the age of 46.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/beau-biden-son-of-vice-president-joe-biden-dies-of-brain-cancer|title=Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, dies of brain cancer|work=[[Fox News]]|date=May 31, 2015|access-date=May 31, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712001335/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/31/beau-biden-son-vice-president-joe-biden-dies-brain-cancer/|archive-date=July 12, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> His funeral was held at [[St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church (Wilmington, Delaware)|St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church]] in [[Wilmington, Delaware]], on June 6, 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?326426-1/funeral-mass-beau-biden|title=Funeral Service for Beau Biden|work=[[C-SPAN]]|date=June 6, 2015|access-date=October 4, 2020}}</ref> He was buried at [[St. Joseph's on the Brandywine]] in [[Greenville, Delaware]].<ref name="Kane">{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Kane |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2015/05/30/e1ac5a2a-0731-11e5-a428-c984eb077d4e_story.html |title=Beau Biden, vice president's son, dies of brain cancer |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 30, 2015}}</ref>

===Hunter Biden===
{{Main|Hunter Biden}}
{{See also|Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory|Hunter Biden laptop controversy}}

Robert Hunter Biden was born on February 4, 1970, in Wilmington, Delaware. Along with his mother and siblings, he was in the 1972 crash, sustaining injuries to his skull. Along with his older brother, he survived after receiving months of medical treatment. Like his father and brother, Hunter attended Archmere Academy in [[Claymont, Delaware]]. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from [[Georgetown University]] in 1992. During the year after he graduated from college, he served as a [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] volunteer at a church in [[Portland, Oregon]], and met [[Kathleen Buhle]], whom he married in 1993. After attending [[Georgetown University Law Center]] for one year, he transferred to [[Yale Law School]] and graduated in 1996.<ref name="entous1">{{cite magazine |last1=Entous |first1=Adam |date=July 1, 2019 |title=Will Hunter Biden Jeopardize His Father's Campaign? |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/08/will-hunter-biden-jeopardize-his-fathers-campaign |url-status=live |access-date=October 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710013015/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/08/will-hunter-biden-jeopardize-his-fathers-campaign |archive-date=July 10, 2019}}</ref> He and Kathleen divorced in 2017 and, in 2019, he married Melissa Cohen.

After law school, Hunter accepted a position at [[bank holding]] company [[MBNA]] America, a major contributor to his father's political campaigns. By 1998, Biden had risen to the rank of executive vice president.<ref name="entous1" /><ref>{{cite news |first1=Matthew |last1=Yglesias |author-link1=Matthew Yglesias |title=Hunter Biden, the black sheep who might accidentally bring down Trump, explained |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/10/1/20891510/hunter-biden-burisma-ukraine-shokin |work=Vox |date=October 1, 2019 |access-date=October 24, 2019 |quote=There's no reason to think that Biden backed MBNA's position because his son worked there{{snd}}senators normally line up with their home state's major employers' policy priorities{{snd}}it's more like Hunter got the job due to his dad's overall cozy relationship with the company. |archive-date=October 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023182658/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/10/1/20891510/hunter-biden-burisma-ukraine-shokin |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 election]], the Trump administration pointed out that Hunter Biden had connections with the Ukrainian [[holding company]] [[Burisma]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Risen |first=James |author-link=James Risen |date=December 8, 2015 |title=Joe Biden, His Son and the Case Against a Ukrainian Oligarch |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/world/europe/corruption-ukraine-joe-biden-son-hunter-biden-ties.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=May 17, 2020 |url-access=registration |archive-date=October 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005215400/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/world/europe/corruption-ukraine-joe-biden-son-hunter-biden-ties.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:A young Beau Ashley and Hunter Biden.jpg|thumb|Beau, Ashley and Hunter Biden as young children, {{circa|1983}}]]

In September 2024, Hunter Biden, pleaded guilty to all nine charges in his federal tax evasion case, surprising prosecutors as they prepared for trial. He previously denied deliberately evading $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019. Biden had been indicted with three felony tax offences and six misdemeanor offences, which included tax evasion and filing false returns. Facing up to 17 years in prison, Biden was set for sentencing on December 16, 2024.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Morris |first1=Regan |last2=Drenon |first2=Brandon |title=Hunter Biden makes last-minute guilty plea in tax case |date=5 September 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5n926n6n0o |website=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906093026/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5n926n6n0o |archive-date=6 September 2024 |access-date=7 September 2024}}</ref>
[[File:2024-12-01 Biden pardon Hunter Biden.jpg|thumb|Pardon for Hunter Biden dated December 1, 2024]]
On December 1, 2024, President Biden issued a [[Federal pardons in the United States|full and unconditional pardon]] for his son Hunter. The pardon covered all federal offenses committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024, and included his tax charges, gun charges, and any other potential crimes committed within that time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=House |first=The White |date=2024-12-02 |title=Statement from President Joe Biden |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/01/statement-from-president-joe-biden-11/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morin |first=Rebecca |title=President Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden despite pledges not to |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/12/01/president-joe-biden-hunter-biden-pardon/76693183007/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>

The pardon received bipartisan criticism from members of Congress as harming the justice system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Suter |first=Tara |date=2024-12-02 |title=Joe Biden's pardon of Hunter Biden rattles the political world |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5016921-bidens-pardon-of-his-son-hunter-rattles-the-political-world/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-02 |title=President Joe Biden Pardons Son Hunter Biden |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-pardons-hunter-biden_n_674d0071e4b09da02dde4492 |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-01 |title=Biden pardons his son Hunter on gun and tax charges despite previously saying he wouldn't |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/biden-pardons-his-son-hunter-on-gun-and-tax-charges-despite-previously-saying-he-wouldnt |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=PBS News |language=en-us}}</ref> In the months leading up to Hunter's scheduled sentencing, the President had made repeated statements that he would not use the pardon authority for his own son. He and his staff continued to state that there would be no pardon for Hunter as late as November, although internal staff discussions affirmed that the option for a pardon would remain on the table even as Biden publicly stated otherwise.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hubbard |first=Kaia |last2=Freiman |first2=Jordan |date=2024-12-02 |title=President Biden pardons son Hunter Biden - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunter-biden-pardon/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Samuels |first=Brett |date=2024-12-02 |title=Joe Biden pardons his son, Hunter Biden |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5016851-biden-pardons-his-son-hunter/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-02 |title=President Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/joe-biden-issue-pardon-son-hunter-biden-rcna182369 |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>

===Naomi "Amy" Biden===
Naomi Christina Biden, nicknamed "Amy", was born on November 8, 1971, in Wilmington, Delaware. She died in the same [[car crash]] as her mother, [[Neilia Hunter Biden|Neilia]], on December 18, 1972, when she was just over a year old.<ref name="MJJBH" />

===Ashley Biden===
{{Main|Ashley Biden}}

Ashley Blazer Biden was born on June 8, 1981, in Wilmington, Delaware. She is the only child from Joe Biden's second marriage. Ashley Biden attended [[Wilmington Friends School]], a private school run by the [[Religious Society of Friends]] in Wilmington.<ref>{{cite web |author1=M. Kristen Hefner |title=Advocating for Justice and Equality: An Interview with Ashley Biden |url=https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/sites.udel.edu/dist/4/10696/files/2018/01/advocating-for-justice-and-equality-an-interview-with-ashley-biden-2al8eyv.pdf |publisher=University of Delaware}}</ref> When she was in elementary school, she discovered that the cosmetics company [[Bonne Bell]] tested its products on animals. She wrote a letter to the company asking them to change their policy on animal testing. She later got involved in dolphin conservation, inspiring her father to work with Congresswoman [[Barbara Boxer]] to write and pass the 1990 Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://delawaretoday.com/life-style/ashley-biden-takes-on-the-world/|title=Ashley Biden Takes On The World|date=August 22, 2018}}</ref> Ashley Biden made an appearance before members of the [[United States Congress]] to lobby for the legislation.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=student|first1=M. S. Journalism|last2=native|first2=Delaware|title=Ashley Biden's 'Livelihood' Combines Style and Social Impact|url=http://www.uscannenbergmedia.com/2017/04/02/ashley-bidens-livelihood-combines-style-and-social-impact/|access-date=2021-01-18|website=Arc Publishing|date=April 2, 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref> She is married to physician [[Howard Krein]].

==Grandchildren==
[[File:Bidens2 (47880955621).jpg|thumb|A 2019 photo of Jill Biden with members of the Biden family <!--add names if known-->]]
[[File:Joe Biden and Jill Biden attend the wedding of Peter Neal and Naomi Biden Neal (52510895180).jpg|thumb|Naomi Biden with husband Peter Neal, Joe Biden, and Jill Biden on the White House [[South Lawn]] for her 2022 wedding]]

Joe Biden has married twice and fathered four children. His seven grandchildren come from his two sons, five from Hunter and two from Beau. He is the first president to become a great-grandfather while in office. 
* from [[Beau Biden|Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III]] (1969–2015),<ref>{{cite news |last=Chase|first=Randall|date=May 31, 2015|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/cd7d717ab72b486a946602ca6c27280c/biden-announces-death-son-beau-brain-cancer |title=Biden announces death of son, Beau, of brain cancer |publisher=Associated Press |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601010652/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/cd7d717ab72b486a946602ca6c27280c/biden-announces-death-son-beau-brain-cancer |archive-date=June 1, 2015}}</ref>
** Two grandchildren with wife [[Hallie Olivere Biden|Hallie Olivere]]<ref name=Kane/>
***Natalie Naomi Biden (b. 2004)
***Robert Hunter Biden II (b. 2006)
* from [[Hunter Biden|Robert Hunter Biden]] (b. 1970)
** Three granddaughters with first wife [[Kathleen Buhle]]<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Newman|first1=Meredith|last2=Jagtiani|first2=Sarika|last3=Sharp|first3=Andrew|date=September 26, 2021|title=Hunter Biden: Who is former Vice President Joe Biden's son mentioned in Ukraine–Trump call?|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/26/who-hunter-biden-joe-biden-son-ukraine-call/3773527002/|access-date=January 18, 2021|newspaper=USA Today}}</ref>
***Naomi King Biden (b. 1993)
****One great-grandson with husband Peter Neal 
***** William Brannon Neal IV (b. 2025)<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Speakman |first=Kimberlee |date=January 8, 2025 |title=Joe and Jill Biden Share First Photo of Great-Grandson — and Reveal the Name Naomi Biden Chose for Her Baby Boy |url=https://people.com/joe-jill-biden-celebrate-great-grandson-naomi-welcomes-boy-8771105/ |access-date=January 8, 2025 |magazine=People}}</ref>
***Finnegan Biden (b. 2000)
***Roberta Mabel "Maisy" Biden (b. 2001)
** One granddaughter with Lunden Roberts<ref>{{Cite news|first=Katie |last= Rogers|title= Hunter Biden's Daughter and a Tale of Two Families |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 1, 2023 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/01/us/politics/hunter-biden-daughter-arkansas.html}}</ref><ref name="navy">{{Cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/biden-first-time-openly-talks-hunter-granddaughter-navy-ac1bca208a34d98150d6a3bd5fb4baa3 |first=Zeke |last=Miller |title=Biden openly acknowledges 7th grandchild, the daughter of son Hunter and an Arkansas woman |department=Politics |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |date=July 28, 2023 |accessdate=July 28, 2023}}</ref>
***Navy Joan Roberts (b. 2018)
** One grandson with second wife Melissa Cohen<ref name=VeryJewish>{{cite news |last1=David |first1=Keren |date=November 9, 2020 |title=Joe Biden's very Jewish family |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/world/joe-biden-s-very-jewish-family-1.508420 |newspaper=[[The Jewish Chronicle]]}}</ref>
***Beau Biden Jr. (b. 2020)

==Pets==
Biden had a [[German Shepherd]], [[Major (Joe Biden's dog)|Major]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Another Great Thing About Biden's Win: There's Going to Be a Dog in the White House Again!|author=Sophie Vershbow|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/biden-dog-in-the-whibbte-house|publisher=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]|access-date=November 7, 2020}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Morales |first1=Christina |title=Biden to Restore a White House Tradition of Presidential Pets |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/us/politics/biden-dogs.html |access-date=November 9, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 8, 2020}}</ref> Major is a rescue dog who was adopted from the Delaware Humane Association by Joe and Jill Biden in 2018, but he was given to family friends after a biting incident at the White House.

Biden had another German Shepherd, [[Champ (dog)|Champ]], who was with the Bidens when Joe Biden was vice president from 2009 to 2017, but died early into Joe Biden's term as president.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=MacKeldon |first1=Amy |date=January 19, 2021 |title=Joe Biden's Dogs Major and Champ Will Be the First Presidential Pups in the White House in Four Years |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a34680434/joe-biden-dogs/ |magazine=Harper's Bazaar |access-date=February 16, 2021}}</ref> In December 2021, Biden announced the addition of a puppy named [[Commander (dog)|Commander]] to his family. On {{Date|Jan 28, 2022|MDY}}, the Bidens announced that they had adopted [[Willow (cat)|Willow]], a [[tabby cat]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Harrison|date=2022-01-28|title=Meet Willow, the Bidens' new, very presidential-looking cat|language=en|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2022/01/28/1076323003/biden-cat-white-house-willow|access-date=2022-01-28}}</ref>

==Tree of descendants==
{{Tree chart/start|align=center}}
{{Tree chart| | |NEILIA|v|-|-|JOE|-|-|v|-|JILL|NEILIA=[[Neilia Hunter Biden|Neilia Hunter]]<br>1942–1972|JOE='''[[Joe Biden|Joseph Robinette<br>Biden Jr.]]'''<br>b. 1942|JILL=[[Jill Biden|Jill Tracy Jacobs]]<br>b. 1951}}
{{tree chart| | | | | |!| | | | | | | |!| | | }}
{{tree chart| | | | | |!| | | | | | | |!| | | }}
{{tree chart| |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| | | |!| | | }}
{{tree chart| BEAU | | HUNTER | | NAOMI | | ASHLEY |BEAU=[[Beau Biden|Joseph Robinette "Beau"<br>Biden III]]<br>1969–2015|HUNTER=[[Hunter Biden|Robert Hunter Biden]]<br>b. 1970|NAOMI=Naomi Christina Biden<br>1971–1972|ASHLEY=[[Ashley Biden|Ashley Blazer Biden]]<br>b. 1981}}
{{tree chart| | |!| | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | }}
{{tree chart| | |!| | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | }}
{{tree chart| |,|^|-|.| |`|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| }}
{{tree chart| NAT | | H2 | | N2 | | FIN | | MAIS | | NJR | | B2 |NAT=Natalie Naomi Biden<br>b. 2004 |H2= Robert Hunter Biden II<br>b. 2006 |N2 = Naomi King Biden<br>b. 1993 |FIN=Finnegan Biden<br>b. 2000 |MAIS = Maisy Biden<br>b. 2001 |NJR= Navy Joan Roberts<br>b. 2018 |B2=Beau Biden<br>b. 2020}}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | }}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | }}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | }}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | WBN | | | | | | | | |WBN=William Brannon Neal IV<br>b. 2025}}
{{Tree chart/end}}

<gallery mode="center" height="250px" style="text-align:center" styles="text-align:center">
File:Joe Biden presidential portrait (cropped).jpg|[[Joe Biden]]
File:First Lady Jill Biden Official Portrait Headshot.jpg|[[Jill Biden]]
File:BeauBiden-DOJ2013 (cropped).jpg|[[Beau Biden]]
File:Hunter Biden September 30, 2014.jpg|[[Hunter Biden]]
File:Ashley Biden at Oscars 2016.jpg|[[Ashley Biden]]
</gallery>

==Parents==
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden Jr. was born on November 20, 1942, at St. Mary's Hospital in [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]],<ref name="witcover">{{cite book|last=Witcover|first=Jules|author-link=Jules Witcover|title=Joe Biden: A Life of Trial and Redemption|year=2010|publisher=William Morrow|location=New York City|isbn=978-0-06-179198-7|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780061791987}}</ref>{{rp|5}} to Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden (''née'' Finnegan; July 7, 1917{{snd}}January 8, 2010)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.witn.com/home/headlines/81062772.html |title=Vice President Biden's mother, Jean, dies at 92 |last=Chase |first=Randall |agency=Associated Press |publisher=[[WITN-TV]] |date=January 9, 2010 |access-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-date=May 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520012620/https://www.witn.com/home/headlines/81062772.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. (November 13, 1915{{snd}}September 2, 2002),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2002-09-03-0209030023-story.html |title=Joseph Biden Sr., 86, father of the senator |newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=September 3, 2002 |access-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230113231/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2002-09-03-0209030023-story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> who married in 1941. After the death of Jean Finnegan Biden on January 8, 2010, President [[Barack Obama]] traveled to Wilmington, Delaware, to attend her January 12 funeral.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Biden eulogizes mother, calls her courageous |first=Randall |last=Chase |date=January 12, 2010 |access-date=January 12, 2010 |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-biden-eulogizes-mother-calls-her-courageous-2010jan12-story.html}}</ref>

Joseph Sr. was initially wealthy but suffered financial setbacks around the time Joe Jr. was born,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Russell|first=Katie|date=2020-11-11|title=Joe Biden's family tree: how tragedy shaped the US president-elect|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/joe-biden-family-tree-children-ashley-hunter/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/joe-biden-family-tree-children-ashley-hunter/ |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2020-12-01|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Biden |first1=Joe |title=Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics |date=2008 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-0812976212 |pages=16–17}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Witcover |first1=Jules |title=Joe Biden: A Life of Trial and Redemption |date=2019 |publisher=William Morrow |isbn=978-0062982643 |pages=7–8}}</ref> and for several years the family lived with Jean's parents. Scranton fell into economic decline during the 1950s and Joseph Sr. could not find steady work.<ref name="ap-scranton">{{Cite news |last=Rubinkam |first=Michael |date=August 27, 2008 |title=Biden's Scranton childhood left lasting impression |publisher=[[Fox News Channel|Fox News]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Aug27/0,4670,CVNBidenapossScrantonRoots,00.html |access-date=September 7, 2008}}</ref> Beginning in 1953, the family lived in an apartment in [[Claymont, Delaware]], then moved to a house in [[Wilmington, Delaware]]. Joseph Sr. later became a successful [[used-car salesman]], maintaining the family in a middle-class lifestyle.<ref name="nyt-father">{{Cite news |last=Broder |first=John M. |date=October 23, 2008 |title=Father's Tough Life an Inspiration for Biden |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/us/politics/24biden.html |access-date=October 24, 2008}}</ref><ref name="ap-scranton" /><ref>''Almanac of American Politics'' 2008, p. 364.</ref>

Joe Sr. and Catherine are buried together at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery in [[Greenville, Delaware]]. Their gravesites are near the graves of their daughter-in-law [[Neilia Hunter Biden]], their granddaughter Naomi, and grandson [[Beau Biden|Beau]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Joe Biden visits son Beau's grave on Election Day morning|url=https://www.today.com/news/joe-biden-visits-son-beau-s-grave-election-day-t197073|access-date=2022-02-26|website=TODAY.com|date=November 3, 2020|language=en|archive-date=February 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226034857/https://www.today.com/news/joe-biden-visits-son-beau-s-grave-election-day-t197073|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Siblings==
[[File:Pardon-warrant-4-19-jan-2025.png|thumb|Pardon for Joe Biden's siblings and their spouses Dated January 19, 2025]]
Joe Biden is the oldest of four siblings in a [[Catholic]] family, followed by his younger sister [[Valerie Biden Owens]] (born 1945), and two younger brothers, [[James Biden|James Brian "Jim" Biden]] (born 1949) and Francis William "Frank" Biden (born 1953).<ref name="witcover"/>{{rp|9}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.demlist.com/demdaily-the-new-family-in-the-white-house/|title = DemDaily: The New Family in the White House|date = March 19, 2021}}</ref> Valerie was one of the campaign managers for Joe Biden's presidential campaigns. Biden's niece Missy Owens (daughter of Valerie Biden Owens) has also worked in politics.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

*Valerie Biden Owens (born November 5, 1945), campaign manager and political strategist. Appointed by [[Barack Obama]] as advisor to the [[United Nations]] 71st General Assembly.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HOME|url=http://www.valeriebidenowens.com/|website=Valerie Biden Owens}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=September 16, 2020|title=First Sister|url=https://members.tortoisemedia.com/2020/09/16/valerie-biden-owens-profile/content.html|website=members.tortoisemedia.com}}</ref> She played a pivotal role in all of her brother's political campaigns. She was the campaign manager during all of his Senate elections and for his [[Joe Biden 1988 presidential campaign|1988]] and [[Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign|2008]] presidential campaigns, and was a senior advisor to his successful [[Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign|2020 presidential campaign]].<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-new-campaign-manager-jen-omalley-dillon-focus-shifts-to-general-election/CBS News Biden Campaign] accessed 11/11/2020</ref><ref>[https://www.vogue.com/article/meet-the-joe-biden-whisperer-his-sister-valerie-biden-owens Meet Joe Biden Sister, ''Vogue Magazine''] accessed 11/12/2020</ref>
*James Brian "Jim" Biden (born 1949), healthcare executive.<ref>{{Cite web|title=James Biden's health care ventures face a growing legal morass|url=https://www.politico.com/amp/news/2020/03/09/james-biden-health-care-ventures-123159|access-date=2021-08-15|website=www.politico.com|date=March 9, 2020 }}</ref> According to a ''The Washington Post'' profile, he is "known in the family as the one who’s always ready to help" and "has a history of business dealings that resulted in recriminations and lawsuits."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Viser |first=Matt |date=May 31, 2022 |title=James Biden — presidential brother, family helper, political wild card |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/31/jimmy-biden-president-brother/ }}</ref>
*Francis William "Frank" Biden (born 1953),<ref>{{Cite book|last=Witcover|first=Jules|url=http://archive.org/details/isbn_9780061791987|title=Joe Biden : a life of trial and redemption|date=2010|publisher=New York : William Morrow/HarperCollins|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-06-179198-7}}</ref> non-attorney advisor to Bergman Law Group, [[Boca Raton, Florida]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Frank Biden's actions already testing Joe Biden's ethics claims|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/03/politics/joe-biden-frank-biden-conflicts-of-interest/index.html|access-date=2021-08-14|website=CNN|date=February 4, 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Schwartz|first=Brian|date=2021-01-27|title=Biden brother touts relationship with president in Inauguration Day ad for law firm|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/27/biden-brother-touts-relationship-with-president-in-inauguration-day-ad-for-law-firm.html|access-date=2021-08-14|website=CNBC|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Biden brother's role in Florida law firm complicates White House ethics message|language=en-US|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/frank-biden-berman-group/2021/02/02/b1cf23a4-63f7-11eb-8c64-9595888caa15_story.html|access-date=2021-08-14|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

In the final minutes of his presidency, Joe Biden issued pardons for his three siblings as well as their spouses.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shear |first=Michael D. |date=January 20, 2025 |title=Biden Pardons 5 Members of His Family in Final Minutes in Office |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/politics/biden-pardons-family.html |access-date=January 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Grandparents==
===Paternal===
Joseph Sr.'s parents, Mary Elizabeth (''née'' Robinette) Biden (1894–1943) and Joseph Harry Biden (1893–1941),<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Ancestry of Joseph Biden|url=http://www.countyhistorian.com/knol/4hmquk6fx4gu-134-the-ancestry-of-joseph-biden.html|access-date=2020-10-16|website=www.countyhistorian.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Witcover|first=Jules|title=Joe Biden: A Life of Trial and Redemption|year=2010|publisher=William Morrow|location=New York City|isbn=9780061791987|page=6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_M5RkbOs2EsC}}</ref> an oil businessman from [[Baltimore, Maryland]], were of [[English people|English]], [[French people|French]], and Irish descent.<ref name="Smolenyak"/><ref name="witcover"/>{{rp|8}}

Biden's paternal third great-grandfather, William Biden (1787–1849), a stonemason, was born in England and emigrated to the United States by 1820, where he settled in Maryland. According to historian Eddy Greenfield, he was born in [[Sussex]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Marshall |first=Olivia |title=US presidential candidate Joe Biden has roots in Sussex |url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/18842458.us-presidential-candidate-joe-biden-roots-sussex/ |date=November 3, 2020 |work=[[The Argus (Brighton)|The Argus]] |access-date=November 3, 2020}}</ref> and was christened at [[St John the Baptist's Church, Westbourne|St John the Baptist's Church]] in [[Westbourne, West Sussex]], on 8{{spaces}}March 1789. William was the second child and son of James Byden (born November 1767) and Ann Silverlock (born March 1766), who had married on 16 May 1785. James Byden, Biden's paternal fourth great-grandfather, was from [[Pagham]]. He was the son of Richard Byden, Biden's paternal fifth great-grandfather, and his wife Susan, beyond which the paternal family line cannot be traced.<ref name="Sussex_ancestry">{{Cite news |date=November 13, 2020 |title=Joe Biden will be the first US president to have Sussex ancestry |work=Chichester Observer |url=https://www.chichester.co.uk/news/people/joe-biden-will-be-first-us-president-have-sussex-ancestry-3034906 |access-date=November 14, 2020}}</ref> Two of Biden's other third paternal great-grandfathers, Jesse Robinett and Thomas Randle, were slave owners in 19th-century Maryland.<ref>Ben Schreckinger. [https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/09/14/how-joe-biden-became-irish-511637 "How Joe Biden Became Irish."] ''Politico'' September 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2023.</ref><ref>Lawrence Delevingne et al. [https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-slavery-lawmakers-overview/ "Explore the U.S. Elite’s Ties to Slavery."] 'Reuters.'' 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.</ref>

A possible connection may also exist to the family of a William Henry Biden, who was from [[Houghton, Cambridgeshire]], and lived from 1791 to 1843.<ref name="houghton">{{Cite news |last=Makey |first=Julian |date=November 9, 2020 |title=Here's the historical evidence of a possible link between Joe Biden and the tiny English village of Houghton |work=The Hunts Post |url=https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/could-quintessential-english-village-have-links-to-joe-biden-1-6923152 |url-status=dead |access-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109193046/https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/could-quintessential-english-village-have-links-to-joe-biden-1-6923152 |archive-date=2020-11-09}}</ref> This William Henry was a son of John Biden (died 28 July 1796) and his wife Ann Beaumont, who had married in 1781.<ref name="houghton"/> The seventh of eight children and the family's fifth son,<ref name="India_Biden">{{Cite news |last=Anthony |first=Jerome |title=Who are the Bidens in India and are they related to US President-elect Joe Biden? |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/who-are-the-bidens-in-india-and-how-are-they-related-to-us-president-elect-joe-biden-7448691.htm |date=November 10, 2020 |work=CNBC TV 18 |access-date=November 11, 2020}}</ref> William Henry and his elder brother, [[Christopher Biden]] (1789–1858), served as officers in the [[East India Company]] merchant marine, both eventually becoming captains of [[East Indiamen]]. William Henry commanded mid-sized vessels before his death at [[Rangoon]] in 1843.<ref name="India_connection">{{Cite news |last=Dasgupta |first=Reshmi R. |title=Joe Biden: time for that Indian connection|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/view-biden-his-time-for-that-indian-connection/articleshow/79116036.cms |date=November 9, 2020 |work=The Economic Times |access-date=November 11, 2020}}</ref>

Christopher Biden subsequently became an official in the Madras Civil Service (later the [[Indian Civil Service]]), and his descendants [[Anglo-Indian|settled in India]]. He died at Madras in 1858. In 1981, Christopher's great-great-grandson, Leslie Dunn Biden, then living in Nagpur, wrote to Joe Biden about the possible family connection after reading about him in the ''[[Illustrated Weekly of India]]''. After discussing their genealogy, they promised to stay in touch but did not resume correspondence before Leslie's death in 1983.<ref name="India_Biden"/> During a 2013 visit to India, Joe Biden referred to Leslie's letter, mentioning a "Biden from Mumbai" had suggested their "mutual great-great-great-great-something-or-other" named George had "worked for the East India Company back in the 1700s."<ref name="India_connection"/>

===Maternal===
Jean's parents were Geraldine (''née'' Blewitt) Finnegan and Ambrose Joseph Finnegan from Scranton, Pennsylvania.<ref name="witcover"/> Ambrose was born in [[Olyphant, Pennsylvania]] in 1883, and attended [[Santa Clara University]] where he was a star quarterback on their football team. After college, he worked for real estate investor [[Major Bowes]] in San Francisco until the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake]] wiped out his boss's investments. He then returned to the Scranton area where he worked for many years as a newspaper advertising salesman and then as librarian for two Scranton newspapers. He died in 1957.<ref>{{cite news | last = | first = | title = A.J. Finnegan Dies; Librarian on Papers | newspaper = [[The Scranton Times-Tribune|The Tribune]] | location = [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]] | pages = 3 | language = | publisher = | date = May 28, 1957 | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36302405/1957-maternal-grandfather-ambrose/| accessdate = October 24, 2022 }}</ref> In addition to Jean, Ambrose and Geraldine had a son, Ambrose J. Finnegan Jr., who died in the Pacific theater of World War II.<ref>{{cite web |title=President Biden making campaign stop in Pittsburgh next week |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/president-biden-making-campaign-stop-in-pittsburgh-next-week/ |website=CBS News |access-date=April 12, 2024 |date=April 12, 2024}}</ref>  The younger Ambrose's death received media attention decades later after Joe Biden said that Ambrose had been eaten by [[Cannibalism in New Guinea|cannibals in New Guinea]], which appears to be incorrect.<ref>{{cite web|date=April 22, 2024 |title=Biden's Uncle (Probably) Wasn't Eaten by Cannibals |author= Margaret Hartmann |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/bidens-uncle-cannibals.html}}</ref>

Jean was of [[Irish people|Irish]] descent, with roots variously attributed to [[County Louth]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-bidens-irish-roots_b_1641678 |title=Joe Biden's Irish Roots |last=Smolenyak |first=Megan |author-link=Megan Smolenyak|work=Huffington Post|date=July 2, 2012|access-date=December 6, 2012}}</ref> and [[County Londonderry]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/number-two-biden-has-a-history-over-irish-debate-28454443.html |title=Number two Biden has a history over Irish debate |work=[[The Belfast Telegraph]] |date=November 9, 2008 |access-date=January 22, 2008}}</ref><ref name="witcover"/>{{rp|8}} Irish genealogists presented Joe Biden with his Irish maternal family history on his visit there in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irishfamilyhistorycentre.com/article/vice-president-joe-bidens-irish-family-history |title=Vice President Joe Biden's Irish family history |date=June 22, 2016 |access-date=March 11, 2020}}</ref> Joe's matrilineal great-grandfather (Geraldine's father), [[Edward Francis Blewitt]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.lafayette.edu/2012/05/03/vice-president-joe-biden-discusses-american-innovation/ |title=Vice President Joe Biden Discusses American Innovation |last=Gehman |first=Geoff |publisher=[[Lafayette College]] |date=May 3, 2012 |access-date=April 15, 2020 }}</ref> the child of Irish emigrants from Rappagh, [[Ballina, County Mayo]], was a member of the [[Pennsylvania State Senate]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.scrantontimes.com/articles/2008/08/24/news/sc_times_trib.20080824.a.pg1.tt24biden_s1.1896121_top4.txt |title=Remembering his roots |last=Krawczeniuk |first=Borys |newspaper=[[The Times-Tribune (Scranton)|The Times-Tribune]] |date=August 24, 2008 |access-date=January 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406014842/http://www.scrantontimes.com/articles/2008/08/24/news/sc_times_trib.20080824.a.pg1.tt24biden_s1.1896121_top4.txt |archive-date=April 6, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/roundup/articles/2016/05/11/4119572-us-vice-president-to-visit-mayo-in-june/|title=US vice president to visit Mayo in June|date=May 11, 2016|newspaper=The Connaught Telegraph|access-date=April 15, 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512114956/http://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/roundup/articles/2016/05/11/4119572-us-vice-president-to-visit-mayo-in-june/|archive-date=May 12, 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Family of Barack Obama]], president for whom Biden served under as vice president (2009–2017)
* [[Family of Donald Trump]], Biden's predecessor and successor as president (2017–2021 and since 2025)
* [[Family of Kamala Harris]], Biden's vice president (2021–2025)

==References==
{{reflist|25em}}

==Further reading==
{{Commons}}
* {{cite news |last=Russell |first=Katie |title=Joe Biden's family tree: how tragedy shaped the US presidential candidate |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/joe-bidens-family-tree-tragedy-shaped-us-presidential-2020-candidate/ |date=November 3, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |access-date=November 3, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103112919/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/joe-bidens-family-tree-tragedy-shaped-us-presidential-2020-candidate/ |archive-date=November 3, 2020}}

{{Joe Biden}}
{{United States presidential family political lines}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biden, Joe, Family of}}
[[Category:Biden family| ]]
[[Category:Joe Biden|Family]]
[[Category:First families of the United States]]
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[[Category:Families from Delaware]]
[[Category:American families of Irish ancestry]]