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Kenworthy History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Kenworthy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Kenworthy belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in the manor of Kenworthy in East Cheshire. 1 The surname Kenworthy belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Digging further we found that "[the first element may be the Anglo-Saxon personal name Céna (Cœna); or Cyna; or cyne-, royal-+ worðig, enclosure, farm, estate]" 2

Early Origins of the Kenworthy family

The surname Kenworthy was first found in East Cheshire, where Roger de Kenworthey was recorded in 1276. Later, William de Kenworthey, 1389 and Robert de Tatton, of Kenworthey, 1370 were recorded. 1

Early History of the Kenworthy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kenworthy research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1276, 1389, 1588 and 1616 are included under the topic Early Kenworthy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kenworthy Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Kenworthy include Kenworthy, Kennworthy, Kenworthie and others.

Early Notables of the Kenworthy family

Distinguished members of the family include

Roger de Kenworthy, prominent 13th century landholder

Kenworthy Ranking

In the United States, the name Kenworthy is the 10,479^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Kenworthy migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Kenworthy were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Kenworthy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Kenworthy, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1813
William Kenworthy, who landed in New York, NY in 1826 4
James Kenworthy (1844), Joseph (1847), Kennard (1854), John (1856), Charles (1864) and Mark (1868), all to Philadelphia
John Kenworthy, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1866 4

Kenworthy migration to Australia +

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

Kenworthy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Kenworthy, English convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st September 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Thomas Kenworthy, English convict who was convicted in Salford, Greater Manchester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Thomas Kenworthy, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on August 08, 1849, settling in Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia 7

Kenworthy migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kenworthy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Kenworthy, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Portland" in 1864
Jane Kenworthy, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Portland" in 1864
Sarah Kenworthy, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Portland" in 1864
Ann Kenworthy, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Portland" in 1864
Ralph Kenworthy, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Portland" in 1864

Contemporary Notables of the name Kenworthy (post 1700) +

Shirra Kenworthy (b. 1943), Canadian bronze medalist figure skater at the 1963 North American Championships
William Jennings Kenworthy (1886-1950), American Major League Baseball second baseman who played from 1912 to 1917
Richard Lee "Dick" Kenworthy (1941-2010), American Major League Baseball third baseman
Michael Kenworthy (b. 1975), American actor
Samuel R. Kenworthy, American politician, Delegate to Illinois convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933 8
Paul Kenworthy, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 17th District, 1944; Prohibition Candidate for Michigan State Senate 18th District, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954 8
Mary M. Kenworthy, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Secretary of State of Michigan, 1956; Prohibition Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Wayne County 12th District, 1958 8
James Kenworthy (b. 1947), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1979 8
George B. Kenworthy, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Michigan State Senate 13th District, 1956 8
Frank L. Kenworthy, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1920 (alternate), 1924, 1928, 1932 8
... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Kenworthy family +

HMS Royal Oak

James Kenworthy (1916-1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 9

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia in 1849 with 303 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1849
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html