Kington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Kington family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living on lands or manors known as royal settlements. These royal settlements or Cyninges-tun were located throughout various towns and parishes in England. The surname Kington originally derived from the place of residence known in Old English as Cyninges-tun.

Early Origins of the Kington family

The surname Kington was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very early times. "The manor-house [of Miserden] is said to have been built with the materials of the castle, and was, with the manor and estates, the property of the Kingston family, and their usual residence prior to the reign of James I." 1 The township of West Thornton in Northumberland was home to another ancient branch of the family. " Between the township and the river Hart is a farm of about 100 acres, which belonged to the Knights Templars, from whom the hamlet obtained the name of Temple-Thornton: this property, on the suppression of the order, was consigned, with their other estates in the county, to John de Kingston." 1

Early History of the Kington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kington research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1175, 1519, 1540, 1545, 1552, 1553, 1555, 1556, 1635, 1692 and 1710 are included under the topic Early Kington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kington Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Kington include Kingston, Kingstone, Kingstoun, Kingstown, Kingstoune and many more.

Early Notables of the Kington family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir William Kingston (died 1540), Constable of the Tower; he was of a Gloucestershire family, settled at Painswick; Sir Anthony Kingston (1519-1556), provost-marshal in Cornwall, Member of Parliament...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kington Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kington family to Ireland

Some of the Kington 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.

Kington migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Kington or a variant listed above:

Kington Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nicholas Kington, who arrived in Virginia in 1699 2

Kington Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Elsie Gertrude Kington, aged 25, originally from London, England, arrived in New York, New York, N.Y. in 1909 aboard the ship "Saint Louis" from Southampton, England 3
Leonard Kington, aged 23, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Lake Foxboro" from Hull, England 3
Philip Kington, aged 29, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Pastores" from New York 3
Lionel Howard Kington, aged 5, originally from London, England, arrived in New York in 1924 aboard the ship "Berengaria" from Southampton, England 3
Eva Cliffe Kington, aged 28, originally from London, England, arrived in New York in 1924 aboard the ship "Berengaria" from Southampton, England 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Kington (post 1700) +

Raynard S. Kington, American deputy director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, 13th President of Grinnell College (2010-)
L. Brent Kington (1934-2013), American artist and metalsmith, the first president of the Society of North American Goldsmiths
William H. Kington, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1956 4
Philip Oliphant Kington (1832-1892), English businessman, landowner and cricketer; he inherited Ardblair Castle in 1867 and with it responsibilities within a branch of Clan Oliphant
Miles Beresford Kington, British journalist and musician

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html