This page is to provide a layout for the most prominent and important EastEnders familes - and attempt to codify the familial associations of characters into the best *possible* organisation. Characters should be placed only in 1 family unless they have a very clear connection with another family. Connection is defined by the prominence of familial associations in the show - and by the length of time those familial associations were present.

Sub-families - there are many families in EastEnders, but it is necessary to group some families together to avoid confusion. In such instances, it is better to subsume one family into the other rather than create hypenated associations. The following are a list of sub-families and the corresponding head family:

  • Beales incorporate: Fowlers, Clarke
  • Brannings incorporate: Jacksons

Minor families: (?) Butchers, Wicks, Masoods, Hills, Raymonds, Owens, Foxes, Kapoors.

Either families should be separated or cojoined. If cojoined, as in the Beales/Fowlers, a Fowler is grouped under the Beale family. However, there is a case to be made that the Jacksons should be a separate family from the Brannings.

  • Familial associations refers to other EastEnders families, not familial relations per se. For instance, Ruth Fowler has family in Scotland, but no familial associations with any other EastEnders family other thant he Fowlers.
  • Characters de-associated from one family must go 'to' another. However, in the instance where the new or returnee family is minor, the movement is marked as 'removed' with the family in brackets. Thus "to Watts family" verses "removed (to Owen family)".

Characters listed under the family section and "associated" subsection are considered to have been categorised into that family. In the info box family field they should be listed under this family.

Watts

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Length: 1985-1995; 2001-2006 | Years on-screen: 17 | Members: 6

  • Den Watts (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Angie Watts (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Chrissie Watts (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Sharon Rickman (primary identification - association with Mitchell family; Rickman subset of Watts)
  • Dennis Rickman (only identification - Rickman subset of Watts)

Associated members

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  • Vicki Fowler (through father; self identification with Watts over Fowlers; storylines centre around Sharon, Dennis, Den, Chrissie)

Mitchells

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Length: 1991- | Years on-screen: 19 | Members: 15

  • Phil Mitchell (only identification - formal connection with Beales; strong association with Watts)
  • Grant Mitchell (only identification - formal connection with Watts; association with Beales)
  • Peggy Mitchell (primary identifaction - short term marriage into Butchers)
  • Ronnie Mitchell (primary identification - formal connection with Slaters; association with Brannings)
  • Roxy Mitchell (only identification - no formal connection with other families; association with Brannings)
  • Billy Mitchell (only identification - short term marriage into Slaters; no formal association with other families)
  • Ben Mitchell (primary identification - association with Beales through mother; storylines centre around Mitchells; Beale association ignored)
  • Jamie Mitchell (only identification - short term marriage into Jackson family)
  • Janet Mitchell (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Archie Mitchell (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Sam Mitchell (primary identification - formal association with Butchers; strong association with Watts, Jacksons)

Associated member

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  • Honey Mitchell (through short term marriage)
  • Kate Mitchell (through short term marriage)
  • Danielle Jones (through mother/father?; storylines centre around Ronnie, Roxy, Archie)
  • Tiffany Mitchell (through short term marriage)

De-associated members

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  • Sharon Mitchell (through short term marriage) > to Watts family
  • Kathy Mitchell (through short term marriage) > to Beale family
  • Sonia Mitchell (through short term marriage) > to Beales (via Fowlers)
  • Little Mo Mitchell (through short term marriage) > to Slaters

Beales

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Length: 1985- | Years on-screen: 25 | Members: 17

  • Arthur Fowler (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Pauline Fowler (only identification - no connection with other families)
  • Martin Fowler (only identification - no connection with other families)
  • Mark Fowler (only identification - no connection with other families)
  • Michelle Fowler (only identification - no formal connection with other families; strong association with Watts)
  • Pete Beale (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Kathy Beale (through long-term marriage; strong association with Mitchells)
  • Ian Beale (only identification - no connection with other families)
  • Lucy Beale (only identification - no connection with other families)
  • Peter Beale (only identification - no connection with other families)
  • Bobby Beale (only identification - no connection with other families)
  • Stephen Beale (primary identification - blood association with Wicks (centring around Pat)

Associated members

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  • Lisa Fowler (through short term marriage - no formal connection with other families; associated with Mitchells)
  • Cindy Beale (through long term marriage - no other familial connection; associated with Wicks)
  • Jill Fowler (through short term marriage - no other familial associations; married at time of death)
  • Ruth Fowler (through long term marriage - no other familial associations)
  • Laura Beale (through short term marriage - no other familial associations; still married at time of death)

De-associated members

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  • Melanie Beale (through short term marriage) > removed

Slaters

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Length: 2000- | Years on-screen: 11 | Members: 9

  • Charlie Slater (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Mo Slater (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Kat Moon (primary identification - long term marriage to Moon family)
  • Little Mo Mitchell (primary identification - short term marriage to Mitchells)
  • Zoe Slater (only identification - no formal association with other families; connected to Watts)
  • Belinda Slater (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Stacey Slater (primary identification - formal association with Brannings through long term marriage)
  • Jean Slater (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Sean Slater (only identification - no formal association with other families; connected to Mitchells)

Brannings

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Length: 1993- | Years on-screen: 16

  • Jim Branning (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Tanya Branning (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Max Brannings (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Bradley Branning (only identification - association with Slaters)
  • Carol Jackson (primary identification - no formal association with other families; connected to Wicks)
  • Robbie Jackson (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Jack Branning (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Suzy Branning (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Oscar Branning (infant)
  • April Branning (only identification - no association with other families)
  • Billie Jackson (only identification - no association with other families)

Associated members

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  • Stacey Slater (through long term marriage) ??
  • Dot Branning (through long term marriage) - (from Cottons)

De-associated members

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  • Bianca Jackson > moved to Butcher through long-term marriage/remarriage
  • Sonia Jackson > moved to Fowler through long-term marriage

Uncategorised characters for consideration

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  • Louise Fowler - Mitchell or Beale??

Characters in more than one family

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To be avoided, but sometimes a character is as much a part of one family as the other.

  • Stacey Slater - strong ties to Brannings, especially at present. If in future these connections fade, she can be removed. But atm must be considered a Branning as well as Slater?

PROBLEM characters

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  • Bianca Butcher >> should still be considered Branning. Thinking behind classifying her solely as Butcher: little interaction with Branning family members; association with Ricky long; association with Pat. Is her Butcher identity stronger than Branning?
  • Sonia Fowler >> should still be considered a Branning. Thinking behind classifying her solely as Fowler: very little interaction with Branning family; her main storylines centre around other families (Mitchells and Fowlers); long-standing marriage to Fowler.

Classifying characters' family rests on whether identity is selected by blood, formal relationship (husband, mother, brother, etc) or through on-screen association. The above list places on-screen association and formal relationship over blood; hence Sonia is listed as a Fowler, not a Branning.

Opposition to classifying character in more than 1 family: small fact can lead to character entering a family.

Potential multi-family characters

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In contrast to the place they are given in above list, the following can potentially be classed under different families:

  • Bianca > Jackson | Branning | Butcher | Wicks
  • Sonia > Jackson | Branning | Mitchell | Fowler
  • Lisa > Fowler | Mitchell
  • Stacey > Slater | Branning
  • Little Mo > Slater | Mitchell
  • Kathy > Beale | Mitchell | Hills
  • Tiffany > Mitchell | Raymond
  • Pat > Harris | Beale | Wicks | Butcher | Evans
  • Sharon > Watts | Mitchells
  • Kat > Slaters | Moons

Should Jacksons be considered separate from Branning

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  • Carol
  • Bianca
  • Sonia
  • Robbie
  • Billie

Connections between families

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Watts

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  • Connection: Beales (Fowlers), Mitchells
  • Association: Slaters, Moons, Butchers (minimal), Owens (minimal)
  • No connection: Jacksons/Brannings, Masoods, Foxes, Wicks, Kapoors, de Marcos

Mitchells

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  • Connection: Watts, Beales, Slaters, Brannings, Butchers
  • Association: Butchers, Moons, Jacksons, Wicks, Owens, de Marcos
  • No connection: Masoods, Foxes, Kapoors

Beales

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  • Connection: Watts (via Fowlers), Mitchells, Owens
  • Association: Wicks, Brannings, Kapoors, Masoods, Butchers
  • No connection: Foxes, de Marcos, Slaters, Moons

Brannings

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  • Connection: Mitchells, Slaters, Butchers,
  • Association: Beales, de Marcos, Foxes (minimal), Masoods (minimal)
  • No connection: Watts, Moons, Kapoors, Owens

Slaters

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  • Connection: Mitchells, Brannings, Moons
  • Associaton: Foxes (minimal), Watts, Beales,
  • No connection: kapoors, Wicks, Owens, de Marcos

MOST CONNECTED MAIN FAMILY: Mitchells LEAST CONNECTED MAIN FAMILY: Watts