Show ContentsKenner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Kenner family saga is rooted in the people of the Pictish Clan of ancient Scotland. The Kenner family lived in the lands of Kinnear, which lie near Wormit in the county of Fife. 1 The name literally means "chieftain." 2

Early Origins of the Kenner family

The surname Kenner was first found in Fife, from the lands of Kin-near near Wormit. The family descend from "Symon, son of Michael, [who] gave a carucate of land of Cathelai to the church of St. Andrews. His grant was confirmed by King Malcolm IV, and King William confirmed the grant of Chathelach, with common pasture for twenty-four beasts, and eighty sheep, which Symon, son of Michael gave, and his son Alan confirmed. The descendants of Symon took the name of Kinnear, and were the vassals of the Priory of St. Andrews in the lands of Kathlac, etc., which they held till the beginning of the eighteenth century. Reginald de Kener witnessed gift of one mark of silver annually by Alexander, earl of Buchan to the Abbey of Arnbroath, c. 1250." 3

Early History of the Kenner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kenner research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1216, 1296, 1439, 1457, 1477, 1536, 1543, 1574, 1600, 1602, 1782, 1802, 1813, 1814, 1818 and 1830 are included under the topic Early Kenner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kenner Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Kenner include Kinnear, Kynnier, Kynnair, Kenneir, Kinner, Kinnier, MacEnir and many more.

Early Notables of the Kenner family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Petrus Kyrior who was elected common councillor of Aberdeen, 1477; John de Kynor who was admitted burgess of Aberdeen, 1439; and Adam Kynnor in 1457. 3Sir John MacDonald Kinneir (1782-1830), was Lieutenant-Colonel H.E.I.C.S., traveller and diplomatist, born at Carnden, Linlithgow, on 3 Feb. 1782, and was the son of John Macdonald, comptroller of customs at Borrowstounness, and Mrs. Cecilia Maria Kinneir. "In 1802 he was nominated to a cadetship by Sir William Bensley, under the name...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kenner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kenner Ranking

In the United States, the name Kenner is the 5,988th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Ireland Migration of the Kenner family to Ireland

Some of the Kenner family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Kenner migration to the United States +

The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Kenner:

Kenner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Condradt Kenner, aged 22, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 5
  • Johan Tobias Kenner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 5
  • Rodham Kenner, who arrived in Virginia in 1772 5
Kenner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Kenner, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 5
  • Christian Kenner, aged 45, who immigrated to the United States, in 1893
  • Margr. Kenner, aged 70, who landed in America, in 1894
  • Mr. Ed. Kenner, aged 33, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
Kenner Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Lazarus Kenner, aged 25, who landed in America from London, in 1903
  • Mr. Charles H. Kenner, (b. 1884), aged 21, Cornish builder travelling aboard the ship "Caronia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Hancock, Michigan, USA 6
  • John Kenner, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1907
  • Walter Kenner, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States from St. Newan, England, in 1907
  • John Kenner, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1919
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Kenner migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kenner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Kenner, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke of Bedford" in 1848 7
  • Nicholas Kenner, aged 26, a sawyer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Thomas Arbuthnot"

Contemporary Notables of the name Kenner (post 1700) +

  • Christophe "Chris" Kenner (1929-1976), American, New Orleans-based R&B singer and songwriter
  • Kevin Kenner (b. 1963), American concert pianist from Coronado, California
  • Duncan F. Kenner (1813-1887), American politician, Deputy from Louisiana to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States (1861-1862)
  • Scipio Africanus "S.A." Kenner (1852-1913), American editor and politician in territorial and early statehood Utah
  • Julie Kenner, USA Today bestselling American author of romance and fantasy novels, she received the Romance Writers of America RITA Award in 2014
  • Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner (1912-2006), American inventor, most noted for her development of the sanitary belt
  • Major-General Albert Walton Kenner (1889-1959), American Chief Training & Inspection Officer, Office of the Surgeon-General (1943-1949) 8
  • Robert Kenner, American film and television screenwriter, television director and film director
  • Laurel Kenner (b. 1954), American financial writer and commentator
  • George Kenner (1888-1971), German artist, made 110 paintings and drawings during the First World War while interned as a POW in the UK
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) DUKE OF BEDFORD 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848DukeofBedford.htm
  8. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 30) Albert Kenner. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Kenner/Albert_Walton/USA.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook