Yellowstone: Dutton family tree explained in full

Yellowstone has spawned numerous spinoffs, from 1923 to 1883, and plenty more in the pipeline. If you’re feeling a tad confused about the Dutton family tree, don’t fret — we’ve explained it in full below.

Generally speaking, Yellowstone is far from complicated. It’s essentially a series about a bunch of cowboys herding cattle, punching people, and protecting their land. But by god, it’s thoroughly entertaining. Still, there is one element of the Taylor Sheridan TV show that has some fans scratching their heads.

With an abundance of Duttons — most of whom have names beginning with the letter J — it’s worth getting to grips with the various Yellowstone characters and how they’re all connected.

While we wait for Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 to arrive, we’ve traced the entire Dutton family tree.

Yellowstone family tree: 1883

The saying “first the worst” becomes nonsense when you consider just how brilliant James Dutton and his small family are. The first generation of Duttons appear in 1883, a spinoff far superior to the main show, technically and narratively speaking.

1883 follows James Dillard Dutton, wife Margaret, daughter Elsa, and their young son, John, as they migrate from Texas to Montana to start a new life. James is a stoic, smart man who loves his family so intensely you just cannot help but root for him. He’s also highly-skilled and pragmatic, and becomes the driving force behind the convoy of European migrants journeying across America.

Meanwhile, Margaret and Elsa are fiercely independent women, who burn so brightly it’s easy to see where the Dutton clan of today gets its strong will from. We also meet James’ sister, Claire, but she’s not a very nice lady, and neither is her daughter, Mary. They both die in the first two episodes of the show.

What we don’t see in 1883 is the birth of Spencer Dutton, James and Margaret’s third child. Once the couple settle in Montana, on the land that becomes the Yellowstone Ranch, they bring Spencer into the world. Sadly, we won’t see an 1883 Season 2, as that was never part of the plan.

Yellowstone family tree: 1923

Spencer Dutton features in spinoff show 1923, where he is hunting lions abroad — yes, it’s as badass as it sounds. However, the leading characters of the series are Jacob Dutton and Cara Dutton, played by Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in the Yellowstone 1923 cast.

Jacob is the brother of James Dillard Dutton, but we never meet him in 1883. When James dies in a battle with horse thieves, Margaret begs Jacob to come to the ranch and help her family survive. Sadly, he’s too late to save Margaret, who froze to death in an especially harsh Montana winter. Still, Jacob and Cara raise young John and Spencer Dutton as their own and keep the ranch afloat, creating the foundations of the Dutton empire.

John Dutton I, as he shall now be known, marries a woman named Emma, and the pair have a son called Jack (we told you there were a lot of J names to deal with). Jack wants a family of his own, too, but he and Elizabeth Strafford suffer a miscarriage, leaving them childless (for now).

Meanwhile, Spencer marries Alexandra, a woman he meets in Africa, stealing her away from her own fiancé in the process. The pair return to America when news of John I’s death reaches them. Spencer and Alexandra are separated on their travels — we’ll have to wait for 1923 Season 2 to discover their fate. Nothing’s been confirmed yet, but it’s likely either Spencer/Alexandra or Jack/Elizabeth are the parents of John Dutton II, father of Kevin Costner’s character. Expect this to be a major plot point in 1923 Season 2. 

Yellowstone family tree: Present-day Duttons

And that leads us to the modern day and the main timeline of the Dutton family. Here, the focus is on Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III and the rest of the Yellowstone cast you’ve come to know and love. John Dutton II and his wife had two children: John III and Peter, though the latter died hours after his birth.

Our present-day John was married to Evelyn Dutton. They had three biological children before she passed away: Lee, Beth, and Kayce. The pair also adopted Jamie — after his mother was killed by his father — and raised him as their own. 

Lee dies in the very first Yellowstone episode, during a shootout with members of the Broken Rock Reservation. Beth Dutton is cut from the same cloth as Margaret, Elsa, and Alexandra Dutton, bringing a formidable energy to proceedings — whether that be in business meetings or at the family dinner table.

Kayce is married to a Native American woman, Monica, and they have a son, Tate. He will be the only biological continuation of the Dutton bloodline, unless Kayce and Monica have another child. With Lee dead, Beth unable to have children, and Jamie being adopted, Tate will likely own the Yellowstone Ranch eventually.

Jamie has a son, though we don’t learn the child’s name, and technically, he isn’t part of the Dutton lineage. Given Jamie and John’s fractured relationship, let’s just say we doubt that child would be named in the will.

So, that’s over 140 years of the Dutton family tree wrapped up in a neat little package. There could be more branches added in the grand finale, but until then, learn about Yellowstone 6666, Yellowstone 2024, and Yellowstone 1944. Or, dive into our rundown of the Yellowstone soundtrack, and the feud between Costner and Sheridan. You can also find out how to watch all Kevin Costner’s westerns if you’re keen on cowboys.