Show ContentsKyne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Kyne is "O Cadhain," from the word "cadhan," which means wild goose. Kilcoyne, commonly seen as an alias of Coyne, is a patronymic name derived from the Gaelic name Mac Giolla Chaoine, denoting the son of a devotee of St. Caoin. Coen is also often the Anglicized version of the Gaelic name "O Comhdhain."

Early Origins of the Kyne family

The surname Kyne was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), and Leinster. The name became confused with Coen, Kyne, and Kilcoyne, all of which have derived from it, or have been the origin of Coyne. The ancient Coens, descended from the Gaelic Caomhan, the Chief of his clann in 876 A.D. who was descended from the Princes of Hy Fiachra, and the great General King Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Early History of the Kyne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kyne research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1803, 1839, 1868 and 1891 are included under the topic Early Kyne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kyne Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Kyne revealed spelling variations, including Coyne, Coen, Cohen, Kyne, Kilcoyne, Coyney, Koyne, Koen, Kohen, M'Coyne, Coyn, Coin, Coine, Koin, Koine, Barnacle (a synonym of Coyne by translation), Barnicle, Barnycle, Barnackle, Barnicall, Barnickle and many more.

Early Notables of the Kyne family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kyne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Kyne migration to the United States +

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Kyne name:

Kyne Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Mathias Kyne, who arrived in America in 1798 1
Kyne Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Margaret Kyne, aged 18, who landed in New York in 1864 1
Kyne Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Margaret M. Kyne, who settled in New York in 1905

Canada Kyne migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kyne Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Bartlett Kyne, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Sea Horse" from Galway, Ireland
  • Miss. Christiana Kyne, aged 8 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Christiana" departing 8th April 1847 from Londonderry, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but she died on board 2

New Zealand Kyne 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:

Kyne Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Michael Kyne, (b. 1836), aged 25, Irish farm labourer, from Galway travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Rhea Sylvia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1861 3
  • Mrs. Mary Kyne, (b. 1841), aged 20, Irish settler, from Galway travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Rhea Sylvia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1861 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Kyne (post 1700) +

  • Martin C. Kyne, American politician, Representative from New York 18th District, 1938 4


  1. 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)
  2. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 83)
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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