Kinghorn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The chronicles of the Kinghorn family reach back into Scottish history to an ancient tribe known as the Picts. The ancestors of the Kinghorn family lived in the barony of Kinghorn in the county of Fife. The surname Kinghorn belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Kinghorn family

The surname Kinghorn was first found in Fife, at the historic former Royal Burgh of Kinghorn, now a town which derives its name from the Scottish Gaelic Ceann Gronna, meaning "head of the marsh" or "head of the bog." Perhaps best known as the place where King Alexander III of Scotland died, this town is steeped in history including the former castle in Kinghorn which was frequently visited by the Scottish Court in the period of the House of Dunkeld. No trace of the castle can be found today. King Alexander III returned here to see his new wife Yolande of Dreux, but fell from his horse on the way and was found dead on the beach of Pettycur bay.

Early History of the Kinghorn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinghorn research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1292, 1296, 1513, 1597 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kinghorn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinghorn Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Kinghorn has been written Kyngorn, Kinghorn, Kinghorne, Kingorn, Kynghorn, Kyngorne, Kynghorne, Kinghan and many more.

Early Notables of the Kinghorn family

More information is included under the topic Early Kinghorn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kinghorn family to Ireland

Some of the Kinghorn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinghorn migration to the United States +

The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Kinghorn:

Kinghorn Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Kinghorn who landed in America in 1771

Kinghorn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Kinghorn, aged 44, who landed in New York in 1812 1
Henry Kinghorn, who arrived in New York, NY in 1846 1
William Kinghorn, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1852 1
George, Kinghorn Jr., who landed in New Orleans, La in 1852 1

Kinghorn 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:

Kinghorn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Kinghorn, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1865

Contemporary Notables of the name Kinghorn (post 1700) +

John G. Kinghorn, American politician, mayor of Littleton, Colorado
William John D. "Bill" Kinghorn (1912-1977), Scottish footballer who played as a midfielder
Carol Elizabeth Margaret Kinghorn, née Saunders, Scottish Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire (2007 -)
Samantha Kinghorn (b. 1996), Scottish three-time gold medalist wheelchair racer
Henry McGill Kinghorn (1886-1955), Scottish football goalkeeper
Ernest Kinghorn (1907-2001), British Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament for Yarmouth (1945-1951)
Joseph Kinghorn (1766-1832), English Particular Baptist minister in Norwich
Rev. James Kinghorn (1861-1912), Australian clergyman, father of J.R. Kinghorn
James Roy "J.R." Kinghorn (1891-1983), Australian naturalist, curator at the Australian Museum
Barbara Kinghorn (b. 1944), British actress, member of the Royal Shakespeare company from 1980 to 1983, known for her roles in One for the Pot (1968), Sell A Million (1975) and My Way (1972)
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Kinghorn Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: A favore regis nomen
Motto Translation: The popularity of the name

Citations +

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)