Famous statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) is a towering figure in the history of the United States. Like another legendary American, Pocahontas, he has many Americans eager to include him in their family trees. While there are descendants of Benjamin Franklin living today, families with the surname Franklin who believe their last name is proof of a connection to the famous American are wrong. Franklin had no male heirs past a known illegitimate great-grandson.
Family Genealogy: William Franklin, Son of Benjamin
Benjamin Franklin had two sons – one legitimate son who died in early childhood, and an illegitimate son named William Franklin. William sired his own illegitimate son, William Temple Franklin. William Temple Franklin worked with his famous grandfather and sired his own illegitimate children, including son Theodore or Theophile Franklin. Theodore’s death in infancy ended the line of Benjamin Franklin’s direct male descendants.
Family Genealogy: Sarah Franklin Bache, Daughter of Benjamin
Sarah Franklin (1743-1808) was the only legitimate child of Benjamin Franklin to survive to adulthood. She married Richard Bache in 1767. They had eight children: four sons and four daughters. It is the descendants from this line that can claim Benjamin Franklin as a direct ancestor.
Family Names of Benjamin Franklin’s Descendants
The following surnames are found among Benjamin Franklin’s descendants. Many of these families have their roots in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and New York.
- Bache
- Duan
- Emory
- Lott
- Birt
- Gassaway
- Hodge
- Perry
- Wainwright
- Irwin
- Scott
- Crowell
- Eyer
- Marker
- St. Clair
Family Names of Benjamin Franklin’s Ancestors
It is still possible for many people, American or English, to share common ancestry with Benjamin Franklin, even if they aren't directly descended from him. The following surnames appear in Benjamin Franklin’s ancestry:
- Franckline
- Meadows
- Folger
- Morill
- White
- Gibbs
- Elmy
- White
- Joanes
How to Determine a Family Link to Benjamin Franklin
Fortunately, the fame of Benjamin Franklin, as well his own research, has left a wealth of genealogical information behind. The Franklin Family Researchers United, a genealogical group, lists several important resources on their website for a family history researcher to pursue, including Franklin’s own autobiography.
A High-Tech Family Tree: Franklin DNA
One way to prove a genetic link between male lines with a common surname is Y-chromosome DNA testing. L. David Roper of the Franklin Genetics Project is collecting DNA samples from different Franklin males in an effort to determine the relation between various Franklin male lines. Roper hopes to obtain a sample of Benjamin Franklin’s DNA or DNA from one of the statesman’s male-line relatives as a way for Franklin families to confirm whether or not they are connected genetically to Benjamin Franklin.
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