Posthumous birth

Not to be confused with Coffin birth.

A posthumous birth is the birth of a child after the death of a parent. A person born in these circumstances is called a posthumous child or a posthumously born person. Most instances of posthumous birth involve the birth of a child after the death of its father, but the term is also applied to infants delivered shortly after the death of the mother, usually by caesarean section.

Legal implications

Posthumous birth has special implications in law, potentially affecting the child's citizenship and legal rights, inheritance, and order of succession. Legal systems generally include special provisions regarding inheritance by posthumous children and the legal status of such children. For example, Massachusetts law states that a posthumous child is treated as having been living at the death of the parent, meaning that the child receives the same share of the parent's estate as if the child had been born before the parent's death. Most states recognize a posthumous child born within a set time frame, normally 280 to 300 days after the death of the decedent father.

Another emerging legal issue in the United States is the control of genetic material after the death of the donor. United States law holds that posthumous children of U.S. citizens who are born outside the United States have the same rights to citizenship that they would have had if the deceased U.S. citizen parent had been alive at the time of their birth. In the field of assisted reproduction, snowflake children, i.e. those "adopted" as frozen embryos by people unrelated to them, can result in the birth of a child after the death of one or both of their genetic parents.

In monarchies and nobilities

A posthumous birth has special significance in the case of hereditary monarchies and hereditary noble titles following primogeniture. In this system, a monarch's or peer's own child precedes that monarch's or peer's sibling in the order of succession. In cases where the widow of a childless king or nobleman is pregnant at the time of his death, the next-in-line is not permitted to assume the throne or title, but must yield place to the unborn child, or ascends and reigns (in the case of a monarch) or succeeds (in the case of a peer) until the child is born (see Alfonso XIII, Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha or John Pelham, 9th Earl of Chichester).

In monarchies and noble titles that follow male-preference cognatic primogeniture, the situation is similar where the dead monarch or peer was not childless but left a daughter as the next-in-line, as well as a pregnant widow. A posthumous brother would supplant that daughter in the succession, whereas a posthumous sister, being younger, would not. Similarly, in monarchies and noble titles that follow agnatic primogeniture, the sex of the unborn child determines the succession; a posthumous male child would himself succeed, whereas the next-in-line would succeed upon the birth of a posthumous female child.

Modern complications

Posthumous conception by artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization, whether done using sperm or ova stored before a parent's death or sperm retrieved from a man's corpse, has created new legal issues. When a woman is inseminated with her deceased husband's sperm, laws that establish that a sperm donor is not the legal father of the child born as a result of artificial insemination have had the effect of excluding the deceased husband from fatherhood and making the child legally fatherless.

In the United Kingdom before 2000, birth records of children conceived using a dead man's sperm had to identify the infants as fatherless, but in 2000 the government announced that the law would be changed to allow the deceased father's name to be listed on the birth certificate. In 1986, a New South Wales legal reform commission recommended that the law should recognize the deceased husband as the father of a child born from post-mortem artificial insemination, provided that the woman is his widow and unmarried at the time of birth, but the child should have inheritance rights to the father's estate only if the father left a will that included specific provisions for the child.

In 2001, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court was asked to consider whether the father's name should appear on the birth record for a child conceived through artificial insemination after her father's death, as well as whether that child was eligible for U.S. Social Security benefits. The court ruled in January 2002 that a child could be the legal heir of a dead parent if there was a genetic relationship and the deceased parent had both agreed to the posthumous conception and committed to support the child. Different U.S. state courts and federal appellate courts have ruled differently in similar cases. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Astrue v. Capato that twins born 18 months after their father's death using the father's frozen sperm were not eligible for Social Security benefits, which set a new precedent.

Naming

In the Middle Ages, it was traditional for posthumous children born in England to be given a matronymic surname instead of a patronymic one. This may in part explain why matronyms are more common in England than in other parts of Europe.

In Ancient Rome, posthumous children of noble birth were often given the cognomen (or third name) 'Postumus'. One example is Agrippa Postumus.

In Yoruba culture, posthumous children are given names that refer to the circumstances concerning the birth. Examples of this include Bàbárímisá, meaning that the Father saw (the child) and ran; Yeyérínsá, meaning that the mother saw (the child) and ran; Ikúdáyísí (or any name with the root dáyísí), which means that death spared the child; and Ẹnúyàmí, meaning that "I was surprised", referring to the fact that the tragic death of the father, mother, or both was sudden and surprising for the family.

Notable people born posthumously

Antiquity

Name	Born	Late parent	Parent died	Gap	Cause of parent's death
Bindusara Mauryan Emperor	320 BCE	Durdhara Mauryan Empress	320 BCE	Same day	Poisoning. He was delivered through caesarean section.
Alexander IV King of Macedon	August 323 BCE	Alexander the Great King of Macedon	11 June 323 BCE	2 months	Disease.
Cornelia Postuma	77 BCE	Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix Roman dictator	78 BCE		Disease, possibly related to chronic alcoholic abuse.
Agrippa Postumus Grandson of Augustus Caesar	12 BCE	Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Roman general and statesman	12 BCE	A few weeks	Disease.
Shapur II Sasanian Emperor	309 AD	Hormizd II Sasanian Emperor	309 AD	40 days	Assassination. Shapur is said to be the only monarch in history who was crowned in utero.
Flavia Maxima Constantia Roman Empress	1 January 362	Constantius II Roman Emperor	3 November 361	1 month, 29 days	Fever.

Middle Ages

Name	Born	Late parent	Parent died	Gap	Cause of parent's death
Muhammad Prophet of Islam	570	Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib Arab trader	569	<6 months	Disease while returning from a trade mission in Medina.
Umm Kulthum bint Abi Bakr Early Muslim scholar	634	Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Caliph	23 August 634	<3 months	On 23 August 634, Abu Bakr fell sick and did not recover. He developed a high fever and was confined to bed. His illness was prolonged, and when his condition worsened, he died in Medina.
Constantine Byzantine prince	1 January 798	Constantine VI Byzantine Emperor	19 April 797	8 months, 13 days	Died of wounds after being blinded by his mother, Irene, who proclaimed herself Empress.
Robert I King of France	15 August 866	Robert the Strong Count of Anjou	2 July 866	1 month, 13 days	Killed at the Battle of Brissarthe.
Charles the Simple King of France	17 September 879	Louis the Stammerer King of France	10 April 879	5 months, 7 days	Disease contracted during a campaign against the Vikings.
Al-Mustakfi Abbasid caliph	11 November 908	al-Muktafi Abbasid caliph	13 August 908	3 months, 2 days	Unspecified illness.
Lothair III Holy Roman Emperor	1075	Gebhard of Supplinburg Saxon count	9 June 1075		Killed at the Battle of Langensalza.
Saint Drogo Flemish saint	14 March 1105				His mother died in childbirth, leaving him orphan from birth
Valdemar I King of Denmark	14 January 1131	Canute Lavard Duke of Schleswig	7 January 1131	7 days	Murdered by Magnus the Strong.
Raymond II of Turenne Viscount of Turenne	1143	Boson II of Turenne Viscount of Turenne	1143	4 months
Constance I Queen of Sicily	2 November 1154	Roger II King of Sicily and Africa	26 February 1154	8 months, 5 days
Baldwin V King of Jerusalem	August 1177	William of Montferrat Count of Jaffa and Ascalon	June 1177	2 months	Possibly malaria.
Arthur I Duke of Brittany	29 March 1187	Geoffrey II Duke of Brittany	19 August 1186	7 months, 10 days	Disputed. One source claims he was trampled to death in a joust, other that he died of a sudden chest affliction.
Maria of Montferrat Queen of Jerusalem	Summer 1192	Conrad of Montferrat King of Jerusalem	28 April 1192	A few months	Assassination.
Theobald I King of Navarre	30 May 1201	Theobald III Count of Champagne	24 May 1201	6 days
Raymond Nonnatus Catholic Saint	1204	His mother	1204	Same day	Childbirth. He was retrieved through caesarean section afterward.
Walter IV Count of Brienne	1205	Walter III Count of Brienne	14 June 1205		Killed in battle.
Charles I King of Sicily	early 1227	Louis VIII King of France	8 November 1226	??	Dysentery.
Stephen the Posthumous Hungarian prince	1236	Andrew II King of Hungary and Croatia	21 September 1235	at least 2 months
Robert II Count of Artois	September 1250	Robert I Count of Artois	8 February 1250	7 months	Killed in battle.
Przemysł II King of Poland	14 October 1257	Przemysł I Duke of Greater Poland	4 June 1257	4 months, 10 days
Władysław of Legnica Duke of Legnica	6 June 1296	Henry V, Duke of Legnica Duke of Legnica	22 February 1296	4 months	Illness following imprisonment.
John I King of France and Navarre	15 November 1316	Louis X King of France and Navarre	5 June 1316	5 months, 10 days	Pneumonia or pleurisy from drinking excess cooled wine after a real tennis match.
Isabel de Verdun Baroness Ferrers de Groby	21 March 1317	Theobald de Verdun Justiciar of Ireland	27 July 1316	7 months, 22 days	Typhoid.
Maria of Calabria Latin Empress consort of Constantinople	6 May 1329	Charles Duke of Calabria	9 November 1328	5 months, 27 days
John, 3rd Earl of Kent	7 April 1330	Edmund of Woodstock English prince	19 March 1330	19 days	Executed for treason against his nephew, Edward III of England.
Joan of France	May 1351	Philip VI King of France and Navarre	22 August 1350	9 months
William of Bavaria-Munich	1435	William III Duke of Bavaria	12 September 1435	up to 3 months
Joan of Portugal Consort queen of Castile	31 March 1439	Edward, King of Portugal	9 September 1438	6 months, 22 days	Plague.
Ladislaus VI King of Hungary, Bohemia and Archduke of Austria	22 February 1440	Albert II King of Germany, Bohemia and Hungary	27 October 1439	3 months, 23 days
Henry VII King of England	28 January 1457	Edmund Tudor Earl of Richmond	1 or 3 November 1456	2 months, 25 days	Bubonic plague.
John Louis Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken	19 October 1472	John II Duke of Nassau-Saarbrücken	15 July 1472	3 months, 4 days
Mencía Pacheco Castilian noblewoman	1474–1475	Juan Pacheco Marquis of Villena	1 October 1474		Throat ailment.
Clement VII Pope of the Catholic Church	26 May 1478	Giuliano de' Medici Ruler of the Florentine Republic	26 April 1478	1 month	Assassination in the Pazzi Conspiracy.

16th–18th centuries

Name	Born	Late parent	Parent died	Gap	Cause of parent's death
Catherine of Austria Consort queen of Portugal	14 January 1507	Philip I King of Castile and Duke of Burgundy	25 September 1506	3 months, 18 days	Typhoid or poison.
Alexander Stewart Duke of Ross	30 April 1514	James IV King of Scotland	9 September 1513	7 months, 21 days	Killed at the Battle of Flodden.
Wenceslaus III Adam Duke of Cieszyn	December 1524	Wenceslaus II Duke of Cieszyn	17 November 1524	1 month
Henry Berkeley Baron Berkeley	26 November 1534	Thomas Berkeley Baron Berkeley	19 September 1534	9 weeks, 4 days
Duarte Duke of Guimarães	March 1541	Duarte Duke of Guimarães	20 September 1540	7 months
Françoise d'Orléans-Longueville Wife of Louis I of Bourbon	5 April 1549	François d'Orléans French nobleman	25 October 1548	5 months, 8 days
Sebastian King of Portugal	20 January 1554	João Manuel Prince of Portugal	2 January 1554	18 days	Tuberculosis or diabetes.
Maria of Hanau-Münzenberg	20 January 1562	Philipp III Count of Hanau-Münzenberg	14 November 1561	2 months, 6 days
Ben Jonson Elizabethan playwright	c. 11 June 1572	His father	April 1572	1–2 months
Henry II Prince of Condé	1 September 1588	Henry I Prince of Condé	5 Mar 1588	5 months, 23 days	Disease.
Charles of Austria Bishop of Wroclaw	7 August 1590	Charles II Archduke of Austria	10 July 1590	28 days
Toyotomi Sadako Wife of Kugyō Kujō Yukiie	1592	Toyotomi Hidekatsu	14 October 1592		Killed in Korean Campaign.
Sveinn "Skotti" Björnsson Icelandic criminal	1596–1597	Björn Pétursson Only Icelandic serial killer	1596		Executed for murder.
Thomas Herbert Welsh seaman and author	15 May 1597	Richard Herbert Justice of the Peace and Member of Parliament	15 October 1596 (buried)	7 months
Friedrich Wilhelm II Duke of Saxe-Altenburg	12 February 1603	Friedrich Wilhelm I Duke of Saxe-Weimar	7 July 1602	7 months, 5 days
Joseph of Cupertino Catholic saint	17 June 1603	Felice Desa Apulian carpenter
Abraham Cowley English poet	1618	His father
Elizabeth Gyllenhielm Swedish noblewoman	1622	Charles Philip Duke of Södermanland	25 January 1622		Disease during the 1622 siege of Narva.
François-Henri de Montmorency Duke of Luxembourg	8 January 1628	François de Montmorency-Bouteville Duke of Luxembourg	22 June 1627	6 months, 15 days	Executed for dueling.
Isaac Newton English scientist	4 January 1643	Isaac Newton, Sr. English farmer	October 1642	3 months
Gulielma Penn wife of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania	February 1644	Sir William Springett English Parliamentarian army officer	3 February 1644	a few days	Fever following Siege of Arundel.
William III Stadholder of the Dutch Republic, King of England and Scotland	14 November 1650	William II Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic	6 November 1650	8 days	Smallpox.
Robert Molesworth Irish politician and writer	7 September 1656	Robert Molesworth, Sr.	3 September 1656	4 days
Adolphus Frederick II Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz	19 October 1658	Adolphus Frederick I Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	27 February 1658	7 months, 21 days
Jonathan Swift Author of Gulliver's Travels	30 November 1667	Jonathan Swift, Sr. English lawyer in Ireland	c. April 1667	7 months	Syphilis.
William August Duke of Saxe-Eisenach	30 November 1668	Adolf William, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach Duke of Saxe-Eisenach	21 November 1668	9 days
Thomas Greenhill English surgeon	1669?	William Greenhill
Emmanuel Lebrecht Prince of Anhalt-Köthen	20 May 1671	Emmanuel Prince of Anhalt-Köthen	8 November 1670	6 months
Godscall Paleologue Last known member of the Paleologus dynasty	12 January 1694	Theodorious Paleologus Barbadian privateer	August-December 1693	Up to 5 months
Christine Marie Jacqueline Henriette FitzJames French nun	29 May 1703	Henry FitzJames Jacobite peer	16 December 1702	5 months, 13 days
Edward Ward, 9th Baron Dudley British peer	16 June 1704	Edward Ward, 8th Baron Dudley	28 March 1704	2 months, 15 days	Smallpox.
Frederick Christian Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth	17 July 1708	Christian Henry Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach	5 April 1708	3 months, 12 days
Georg Wilhelm Richmann Livonian physicist	22 July 1711	His father			Plague.
William IV Stadholder of the Dutch Republic	1 September 1711	John William Friso Prince of Orange	14 July 1711	1 month, 15 days	Drowning in a ferryboat accident.
Robert Petre, 8th Baron Petre British peer and horticulturist	3 June 1713	Robert Petre, 7th Baron Petre	22 March 1713	2 months, 7 days	Smallpox.
Edmund Pendleton American politician	9 September 1721	Henry Pendleton	1721	4 months
John Morton American politician	1725	John Morton, Sr.	1724
Sir Brook Bridges, 3rd Baronet British politician	17 September 1733	Sir Brook Bridges, 2nd Baronet	23 May 1733	3 months, 22 days
Barbara Herbert Countess of Powis	24 June 1735	Edward Herbert British aristocrat	c. March 1735	3 months
Caroline Matilda Consort queen of Denmark and Norway	11 July 1751	Frederick, Prince of Wales	20 March 1751	3 months, 17 days	Pulmonary embolism.
Thomas Chatterton English poet and forger	20 November 1752	Thomas Chatterton Sr. English poet and musician	7 August 1752	3 months, 13 days
John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn Irish peer and politician	July 1756	John Hamilton, Sr. Royal Navy officer	December 1755	7 months	Accidental drowning while on duty.
Frederick Ferdinand Constantin Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach	8 September 1758	Ernest Augustus II Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach	28 May 1758	3 months
Elizabeth Simcoe British Canadian artist	22 September 1762	Thomas Gwillim Military officer	29 January 1762	7 months, 22 days	Killed or died otherwise in the Seven Years' War.
Benedict Joseph Flaget French American bishop	7 November 1763	His father
Andrew Jackson 7th President of the United States	15 March 1767	Andrew Jackson, Sr. Irish American colonist	c. 23 February 1767	Around 21 days	Logging accident.
Lord William Russell British politician	20 August 1767	Francis Russell Marquess of Tavistock	22 March 1767	5 months	Fall from horse.
Sawai Madhavrao 12th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire	18 April 1774	Narayan Rao 10th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire	30 August, 1773	7 months	Murder.
Tenskwatawa Shawnee prophet and leader	January 1775	Puckenshinwa Leader of the Kispokotha division of the Shawnee tribe	October 10, 1774	3-4 months	Killed at the Battle of Point Pleasant.
Henry Howard Earl of Suffolk	8 August 1779	Henry Howard Earl of Suffolk	7 March 1779	5 months, 1 day

19th century

Name	Born	Late parent	Parent died	Gap	Cause of parent's death
Lord George Hill British politician	9 December 1801	Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire	7 September 1801	3 months, 2 days	Suicide.
Louis Augustus Karl Frederick Emil Duke of Anhalt-Köthen	20 September 1802	Louis Prince of Anhalt-Köthen	16 September 1802	4 days
William Holland Thomas American merchant, lawyer, politician, soldier.	5 February 1805	Richard Thomas	??	??	??
Sir George Grey British soldier, explorer, governor	14 April 1812	Lt-Col George Grey	Early April 1812	a few days	Killed at the Battle of Badajoz.
Arthur MacArthur Sr. Governor of Wisconsin and grandfather of Douglas MacArthur	26 January 1815	Arthur MacArthur I	19 January 1815	7 days
François Sabatier-Ungher French philanthropist	2 July 1818	His father	shortly before	??
Charles de La Roche	30 March 1820	Charles Ferdinand Duke of Berry	14 February 1820	1 month, 16 days	Assassination by a Bonapartist. Each child was born to a different mother.
Alix Mélanie Cosnefroy de Saint-Ange	16 September 1820			7 months, 2 days
Henri, Count of Chambord Legitimist pretender to the French throne	29 September 1820			7 months, 15 days
Ferdinand Oreille de Carrière	10 October 1820			7 months, 25 days
Rutherford B. Hayes 19th President of the United States	4 October 1822	Rutherford Hayes, Jr. American storekeeper	20 July 1822	1 month, 22 days
Jemima Blackburn Scottish painter	1 May 1823	James Wedderburn Solicitor General for Scotland	7 November 1822	5 months, 23 days
Anna Leonowens British teacher co-subject of The King and I	5 November 1831	Thomas Edwards East India Company officer	c. August 1831	3 months
Henry B. Wheatley English author, editor and indexer	1838	Benjamin Wheatley Auctioneer
David Hyrum Smith Leader of the RLDS Church	7 November 1844	Joseph Smith Founder of the Latter Day Saint movement	27 June 1844	4 months, 9 days	Lynching while awaiting trial in jail.
Tokugawa Iemochi 14th shogun of Tokugawa shogunate	17 July 1846	Tokugawa Nariyuki Lord of Wakayama Domain	1 June 1846	1 month, 16 days
Chikako, Princess Kazu Wife of Tokugawa Iemochi	1 August 1846	Ninkō Emperor of Japan	21 February 1846	5 months, 9 days
Horace Tabberer Brown British chemist	20 July 1848	His father
Henry Waldegrave, 11th Earl Waldegrave British minister and noble	14 October 1854	William Waldegrave, Viscount Chewton	8 October 1854	6 days	Wounds from the Battle of the Alma.
Katherine Harley British suffragist	3 May 1855	John Tracy William French Royal Navy officer	1854
John Norton English-Australian journalist	25 January 1857	John Norton Stonemason
Samuel Alexander British philosopher	6 January 1859	Samuel Alexander, Sr. Australian saddler
Motilal Nehru 36th and 47th President of the Indian National Congress	6 May 1861	Gangadhar Nehru Last Kotwal of Delhi	4 February 1861	3 months, 2 days
Florence Maybrick British-American convicted murderess	3 September 1862	William George Chandler Banker and Mayor of Mobile
Breaker Morant Australian soldier and folk hero	9 December 1864	Edwin Murrant English workhouse master	August 1864	4 months
William George Welsh solicitor	23 February 1865	William George Welsh schoolteacher	June 1864	8 months	pneumonia
Frank Anstey Australian politician	18 August 1865	Samuel Anstey English iron miner	c. March 1865	5 months
Rua Kenana Hepetipa Maori prophet, faith healer, and activist	1869	Kenana Tumoana	November 1868		Killed in Te Kooti's War.
George Washington Lambert Australian artist	13 September 1873	George Washington Lambert, Sr.	25 July 1873	1 month, 16 days
William Lionel Hichens English industrialist	1 May 1874	John Ley Hichens English physician & army surgeon
Rudolf Besier Dutch/English dramatist	2 July 1878	Rudolf Besier, Sr.	c. January 1878	c. 6 months
Carl Schuricht German conductor	3 July 1880	Carl Conrad Schuricht	June 1880	c. 21 days	Drowned in the Baltic Sea while trying to save a friend.
Charles Edward Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha	19 July 1884	Leopold, Duke of Albany British prince	28 March 1884	3 months, 18 days	Haemophilia-related intracerebral hemorrhage after a fall.
Chester W. Nimitz American fleet admiral	24 February 1885	Chester Bernard Nimitz	14 August 1884	6 months, 10 days
Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi Sudanese Imam of the Ansar, first Chief Minister of Sudan	15 July 1885	Muhammad Ahmad Sudanese self-proclaimed Mahdi	22 June 1885	23 days	Typhus.
Clara Sipprell Canadian-American photographer	31 October 1885	Francis Sipprell
Alfonso XIII King of Spain	17 May 1886	Alfonso XII King of Spain	25 November 1885	5 months, 21 days	Dysentery worsened by tuberculosis.
Li Dazhao Co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party	29 October 1889	His father		A few months
Manuel Roxas President of the Philippines	1 January 1892	Gerardo Roxas y Arroyo	21 April 1891	8 months, 11 days	Killed by the Civil Guard
Charles Wilfred Orr English song composer	31 July 1893	His father
Thomas Iorwerth Ellis Welsh classicist	19 December 1899	Thomas Edward Ellis Welsh politician	5 April 1899	8 months, 14 days
Mabel Mercer British-American jazz singer	3 February 1900	Her father

20th century

Name	Born	Late parent	Parent died	Gap	Cause of parent's death
Stanley Kunitz American poet	29 July 1905	Solomon Z. Kunitz Immigrant Russian Jewish dressmaker	June 1905	6 weeks	Suicide by drinking carbolic acid after going bankrupt.
Johan Kjær Hansen Danish Resistance fighter	7 April 1907	Hans Christian Johan Andreas Hansen Bicycle manufacturer	13 December 1906	3 months, 22 days
Xiao Qian Chinese essayist and translator	27 January 1910	His father
John Jacob Astor VI American shipping businessman	14 August 1912	John Jacob Astor IV American businessman	15 April 1912	3 months, 28 days	Sinking of the RMS Titanic.
Raoul Wallenberg Swedish diplomat and humanitarian	14 August 1912	Raoul Oscar Wallenberg Swedish Navy officer	May 1912	3 months	Cancer.
Red Skelton American comedian	18 July 1913	Joseph Elmer Skelton Grocer and former circus clown	May 1913	2 months
Cäzilia Gabriel Hinterkaifeck victim	January 1915	Karl Gabriel German soldier	December 1914	1 month	Killed in World War I.
Georg Quistgaard Danish Resistance fighter	19 February 1915	Georg Brockhoff Quistgaard Danish secretary	18 December 1914	2 months, 1 day
Fred Ball	17 July 1915	Henry Durell Ball Telephone lineman	February 28, 1915	139 days	Died of typhoid fever.
Alfred Shaughnessy English screenwriter and producer	19 May 1916	Thomas Alfred Shaughnessy Canadian Army officer	31 March 1916	50 days	Killed in World War I.
Mihrişah Sultan Ottoman princess	1 June 1916	Yusuf Izzeddin Ottoman Crown Prince	1 February 1916	4 months	Suicide.
Ronald R. Van Stockum Brigadier General of the U.S. Marines	8 July 1916	Reginald George Bareham British soldier	1 July 1916	1 week	Killed in World War I Battle of the Somme.
Edward Bell, Jr. Squadron Leader of the Royal Air Force	October 1918	Edward Bell, Sr. Commander of the Football Battalion	24 March 1918	6 months	Killed in World War I.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Russian novelist	11 December 1918	Isaakiy Semyonovich Solzhenitsyn Imperial Russian Army officer	15 June 1918	5 months, 25 days	Hunting accident.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti American poet	24 March 1919	Carlo Ferlinghetti Italian immigrant			Heart attack.
John Mitchum American actor	6 September 1919	James Thomas Mitchum	February 1919	7 months	Railyard accident.
Jehanne Rosemary Ernestine Beaumont	7 September 1919	Dudley Beaumont British Army officer	24 November 1918	9 months	Spanish flu.
Kung Te-cheng Last Duke Yansheng	23 February 1920	Kong Lingyi Duke Yansheng	8 November 1919	3 months, 15 days
Alexandra Last queen consort of Yugoslavia	25 March 1921	Alexander King of Greece	25 October 1920	5 months	Sepsis from a captive Barbary macaque's bite.
Jules Olitski Ukrainian-American painter, sculptor	27 March 1922	Jevel Demikovsky Soviet Commissar		A few months	Execution.
Elisabeth of Austria Member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine	31 May 1922	Charles I Last Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary	1 April 1922	1 month, 30 days	Pneumonia.
Stephen Wurm Hungarian-Australian linguist	19 August 1922	Adolphe Wurm
Mary Warnock English philosopher	14 April 1924	Archibald Edward Wilson Teacher at Winchester College	1923
Anthony Earnshaw English anarchist	9 October 1924	His father
Felipe Rodríguez Puerto Rican singer	8 May 1926	His father
Earl Holliman American actor	11 September 1928	William A. Frost American farmer		7 months
Zhu Rongji Former premier of China	23 October 1928	Zhu Kuanshu 16th grandson of Hongwu Emperor
Bertram Wainer Australian doctor and activist	30 December 1928	His father
Itamar Franco 33rd President of Brazil	28 June 1930	Augusto César Stiebler Franco	April 1930	2 months	Malaria.
Thomas Sowell American economist	30 June 1930	His father
Brian Sewell British art critic	15 July 1931	Peter Warlock British composer and music critic (claimed by Sewell)	17 December 1930	6 months, 26 days	Coal gas poisoning.
Don Durant American actor	20 November 1932	His father	September-October 1932	2 months	Truck accident.
Saddam Hussein Iraqi dictator	28 April 1937	Hussein Abd Al-Majid			Cancer.
Ian Brady British serial killer	2 January 1938	His father (according to his mother)		3 months	Unknown. Brady's father was never identified, casting doubt on his mother's claims.
Lee Harvey Oswald Assassin of John F. Kennedy	18 October 1939	Robert Edward Lee Oswald United States Marine	19 August 1939	1 month, 28 days	Heart attack.
Jacques Mairesse French economist	16 August 1940	Jacques Mairesse, Sr. French footballer	13 June 1940	2 months, 3 days	Killed while trying to escape a prisoner-of-war camp during the Battle of France.
Edwin Wilson Australian poet	27 October 1942	His father
Henry and David Cecil British twin racehorse trainers	11 January 1943	Henry Kerr Auchmuty Cecil Parachute Regiment officer	30 November – 2 December 1942	1 month, 1–2 days	Killed in the North African campaign of World War II.
Sylvester McCoy British actor and comedian	20 August 1943	Percy Kent-Smith	18 July 1943	1 month, 2 days	Killed in World War II.
Ranulph Fiennes British explorer and writer	7 March 1944	Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes Royal Scots Greys commander	24 November 1943	3 months, 12 days	Killed by landmine in Italy while serving in World War II.
John Pelham Earl of Chichester	14 April 1944	John Pelham, Sr. British diplomat and Captain of the Scots Guards	21 February 1944	1 month, 22 days	Killed in a road accident while serving in World War II.
Maria João Pires Portuguese-Swiss classical pianist	23 July 1944	João Baptista Pires	1 July 1944	22 days
Bernard Collaery Australian lawyer and politician	12 October 1944	Edward Francis Collaery RAAF flying officer	29 June 1944	3 months 13 days	Killed in World War II.
Edward Foljambe Earl of Liverpool	14 November 1944	Peter George William Savile Foljambe	2 September 1944	2 months, 12 days	Killed in World War II.
Joachim 8th Prince Murat	26 November 1944	Joachim 7th Prince Murat	20 July 1944	4 months, 6 days	Killed in World War II.
Konstanze von Schulthess German author	27 January 1945	Claus von Stauffenberg German army officer	21 July 1944	6 months, 6 days	Executed for 20 July plot against Hitler.
Eva Barbara Fegelein	5 May 1945	Hermann Fegelein High-ranking Nazi officer	28 April 1945	6 days	Execution.
Frederica von Stade American opera singer	1 June 1945	Charles S. von Stade South African-American polo champion	10 April 1945	1 month, 20 days	Killed in World War II.
Graça Machel Mozambican politician	17 October 1945	Her father	30 September 1945	17 days
Bill Clinton 42nd President of the United States	19 August 1946	William Jefferson Blythe Jr. American traveling salesman	17 May 1946	3 months, 2 days	Automobile accident.
Peter Kocan Australian author and attempted assassin of Arthur Calwell	4 May 1947	His father		3 months	Automobile accident.
Pedro López Colombian serial killer	8 October 1948	Midardo Reyes	4 April 1948	6 months, 4 days	Murdered in La Violencia.
Jett Williams American singer	6 January 1953	Hank Williams American singer	1 January 1953	5 days	Possibly drug-induced cardiac arrest.
Wally Carr Aboriginal Australian boxer	11 August 1954	His father		2 months	Suicide by gunshot.
Janet Lynn Skinner American Gospel musician	5 July 1955	Billie Haille			Spinal meningitis.
Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and founder of The Emirates Group	1 December 1958	Saeed bin Maktoum bin Hasher Al Maktoum Emir of Dubai	9 September 1958	2 months, 21 days
Tyrone Power Jr. American actor	22 January 1959	Tyrone Power American actor	15 November 1958	2 months, 7 days	Fulminant angina pectoris while filming an action scene.
Antwone Fisher American author and film director	3 August 1959	Eddie Elkins		2 months	Murdered (shot) by a jealous girlfriend.
John Clark Gable American actor	20 March 1961	Clark Gable American actor	16 November 1960	4 months, 4 days	Heart attack induced by an arterial blood clot.
Yves Amu Klein French artist	6 August 1962	Yves Klein French Nouveau réalisme artist	6 June 1962	2 months	Three heart attacks, the first while watching the exploitation film Mondo Cane.
Sławomir Makaruk Polish traveler and photographer	4 October 1963	Sławomir Makaruk Polish aviator	20 April 1963	5 months, 13 days	Accident aboard an experimental SZD-21 Kobuz glider.
Tariq Al-Ali Kuwaiti actor and comedian	18 January 1966	His father
Rory Kennedy American documentary filmmaker	12 December 1968	Robert F. Kennedy U.S. Senator from New York and younger brother of John F. Kennedy	6 June 1968	6 months, 6 days	Assassination while campaigning for the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries.
Brandon Teena American victim of transphobic hate murder	12 December 1972	Patrick Brandon	7 April 1972	8 months, 5 days	Automobile accident.
Philippe Cousteau Jr. Franco-American oceanographer and environmental activist	20 January 1980	Philippe Cousteau French cinematographer	28 June 1979	6 months, 21 days	Aviation accident.
Diana Yukawa Japanese-British violinist and composer	16 September 1985	Akihisa Yukawa Japanese banker	12 August 1985	1 month, 4 days	Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash.
Natasha Ignatenko Chernobyl disaster victim	1986	Vasily Ignatenko Soviet firefighter	13 May 1986		Acute Radiation Syndrome contracted while extinguishing fires above the exploded Reactor Nº4.
Gia Coppola American filmmaker	1 January 1987	Gian-Carlo Coppola American film producer	26 May 1986	7 months, 3 days	Speedboating accident.

Religious and mythological people born posthumously

The Bible's Old Testament mentions two named cases of posthumous children:

• Ashhur, youngest son of Hezron, born when his father had died when aged past 60 years. (1 Chronicles 2:21, 24)
• Ichabod, who was born when his mother, who subsequently died, heard news that his father Phinehas had been killed at the Battle of Aphek and paternal grandfather Eli accidentally killed afterwards. (1 Samuel 4:19–22)

Parikshit, the sole survivor of the Kuru dynasty in Mahabharata, was born after his father Abhimanyu was killed in the Kurukshetra war.

The Greek god Asclepius is said to have been delivered by caesarean section after his mother was killed on Mount Olympus.

Fictional characters born posthumously

• Macduff, a character in Shakespeare's Macbeth, revealed that he was not literally born, but removed from his [dead] mother, completing a plot twist.
• In Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve's fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, the Prince's father, the King, died months before he was born.
• The Irish Republican song "The Broad Black Brimmer" was about a boy whose father died before he was born.
• The Charles Dickens character David Copperfield was a posthumous child, whose father had died six months before he was born. Another Dickens character, Oliver Twist, was posthumous as his mother died while giving birth.
• On A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, baby Jacob was born after his father Dan was killed by Freddy.
• In The Hunger Games series, Gale Hawthorne's sister Posy is born shortly after their father dies in a mine explosion, and Finnick Odair's son is born months after his death in battle.
• John Connor, a principal character in the Terminator franchise, and son of Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese (a time traveler from the future), was conceived shortly before his father was killed. As an adult, John was in fact responsible for selecting Reese (who was unaware of their relation) to go back in time.
• The Noughts and Crosses series character Callie-Rose Hadley is born after the execution of her father, Callum McGregor.
• In the British television soap opera Coronation Street, Liam Connor Jr. was born in July 2009; his father and namesake Liam Connor, was ordered murdered by Tony Gordon just a short time after Liam Jr.'s conception in October 2008.
• The Stephen King novel Carrie tells briefly of the parents of the titular character, Margaret and Ralph White. Ralph, a construction worker, had impregnated Margaret, only to be killed in a construction accident shortly before the birth of their daughter.
• In Berserk, the main character Guts is found after having been birthed by a hanging corpse.
• Grey's Anatomy: Derek Shepherd dies in a car accident in Season 11, nine months before the birth of his daughter.
• Bahubali series: Mahendra Bahubali is born shortly after his father Amarendra Bahubali is killed.
• Star Wars Rebels: Kanan Jarrus dies sacrificing himself while rescuing his lover Hera Syndulla, who is pregnant with their son, Jacen Syndulla.
• In A Song of Ice and Fire, Princess Daenerys Targaryen is born months after the death of her father, King Aerys II Targaryen.
• Avatar series: Grace Augustine's human form was killed by Colonel Miles Quaritch, but her unconscious Avatar body was kept in stasis and later gave birth to Kiri.
• In the Bridgerton novels and its Netflix adaptation, youngest child Hyacinth is born in the weeks following her father’s death from anaphylactic shock from a bee sting.

See also

• Coffin birth
• Maternal death
• Posthumous sperm retrieval

External links

• Posthumous Child (i.e., Born After Father's Death), Adoption.com