Coats of Arms by House of Names
 
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From www.HouseOfNames.com Archives copyright © 2000 - 2009

Origins Available: Irish, Scottish

Where did the Scottish Kennedy family come from? What is the Scottish coat of arms/family crest? When did the Kennedy family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the history of the family name?

The name Kennedy was first used by a Strathclyde-Briton family from the Scottish/English Borderlands. It was a name for a dour or serious person. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Gaelic nickname Cinneididh, which translates as grim-headed.

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Kennedy has appeared as Kennedy, Kannady, Kenardy, Kennaday, Kenneday, Kenneyday, Kennediem, MacKennedy, MacUalraig (Gaelic) and many more.

First found in Ayrshire, where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and clan societies in North America. Among them: Alexander Kennedy settled in Charleston in 1763; Alexander Kennedy settled in Virginia in 1774; Angus Kennedy settled in New York in 1775; Hector Kennedy settled in Philadelphia in 1806.

Motto Translated: Consider the end.

For more information on the last name Kennedy, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.


Suggested Readings for the name Kennedy
  • Alford-Kennedy Family History by Eileen Alford.
  • Ancestors and Kin by Mary Kennedy Reynolds.

Some noteworthy people of the name Kennedy
  • Alan Kennedy, American film actor
  • Arthur Kennedy, American Actor
  • Robert F Kennedy (1925-1968), American politician, brother of John F. Kennedy
  • George Kennedy (b. 1925), American actor
  • Edward Kennedy (1932-2009), American Politician, U.S. Senator
  • Eugene Kennedy, American Biochemist
  • Gerald Kennedy, American, Methodist Bishop
  • President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th American president of the United States
  • Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr. (1915-1944), American aviator posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal
  • William Joseph Kennedy (b. 1928), American writer and journalist awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1984
  • A L Kennedy, Scottish novelist
  • Archibald Kennedy (1794-1832), Earl of Cassilis, a Scottish Peer
  • James Kennedy (1928-1968), Scottish novelist
  • Adam Kennedy, Major League Baseball player
  • Anthony M Kennedy, US Supreme Court Associate Justice
  • Eamonn Kennedy, Irish Diplomat
  • Thomas Alexander Kennedy, Economist

Kennedy Clan Badge


Kennedy Clan Badge
Kennedy Clan Badge

Buy Kennedy Clan Badge

A clan is a social group made up of a number of distinct branch-families that actually descended from, or accepted themselves as descendants of, a common ancestor. The word clan means simply children. The idea of the clan as a community is necessarily based around this idea of heredity and is most often ruled according to a patriarchal structure. For instance, the clan chief represented the hereditary "parent" of the entire clan. The most prominent example of this form of society is the Scottish Clan system...

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Septs of the Distinguished Name Kennedy
Carach, Carack, Carake, Carech, Careck, Carich, Carick, Carik, Caritch, Carock, Carox, Carrach, Carrack, Carrake, Carrech, Carreck, Carrich, Carrick, Carrig, Carrigg, Carrigy, Carrik, Carritch, Carrock, Carrox, Carryck, Carryke, Caryck, Caryke, Cassillis, Ceanaideach, Ceannaideach, Corrach, Corrack, Corrake, Correch, Correck, Corrick, Corrik, Corritch, Corrock, Corrox, Corryck, Corryke, Garrach, Garrack, Garrake, Garrech, Garreck, Garrick and more.

Tell Me More About Family Crests


Family Crests: the Heraldic Artist


We have researched the Kennedy family crest in the most recognized sources. Before an artist or craftsman can render a family crest, it must exist. In other words the crest must have been designed and recorded by the heralds from time immemorial.

Heraldic designs matriculated by the lay-artist in many cases becomes uninspired, meretricious and even ugly...

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Family Crests: Timeline


Many of the symbols adopted into armory have been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians, but heraldry itself did not begin until the 11th century. In continental Europe, the most ancient recorded family crest was discovered upon the monumental effigy of a Count of Wasserburg in the church of St. Emeran, at Ratisobon, Germany...

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Family Crests: Elements


In the Kennedy coat of arms as in all coat of arms the crest is only one element of the full armorial achievement. Again the Family Crest is just part of the story of Coats of Arms or Heraldry. Heraldry is defined as the hereditary art or science of blazoning, the description is appropriate technical terms of Coats-of-Arms and other heraldic and armorial insignia, and is of very ancient origin...

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Family Crests and Genealogy: how they relate


We encourage you to study the Kennedy genealogy to find out if you descend from someone who bore a particular family crest. Anyone making a study of heraldry usually becomes interested in Genealogy or seeking legal claim to a particular family crest. No families, not even the royal houses, can make sound claim to the right to bear arms unless a proven connection is established through attested Genealogical records...

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Kennedy Family Crest Products


Anniversary products for the name Kennedy.
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Ceramics emphasing the Kennedy family crest.
Clan Badges for the name Kennedy.
Clip art of all the most used heraldic pieces.
Coat of Arms for the name Kennedy.
Downloads emphasing the family crest for the name Kennedy.
Family Crest for the name Kennedy.
Family Tree revealing the Kennedy family crest.
Hand Painted Plaques for the Kennedy family crest.
Keychains with the family crest for the name Kennedy.
Mouse pads with a Kennedy family crest.
New Products showing the Kennedy family crest.
Packages revealing the family crest for the surname Kennedy.
Plaques and Frames revealing the family crest for the surname Kennedy.
Surname Histories for the name Kennedy.
Symbolism with the coat of arms for the name Kennedy.
Travel Mugs with a Kennedy coat of arms.
Popular Products
Armorial History With Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms & Surname History Package
Family Crest Image (jpg) Heritage Series - 300 DPI
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Armorial History with Frame
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The Kennedy Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Kennedy Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

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