Show ContentsKedgwind History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Kedgwind came from the western region of Britain known as Wales. This name started out as a nickname for a person who was nicknamed "white dog" from the Old English word "Kei" - a dog, and "gwyn" - white: and thus figuratively, a hero. Nicknames form a broad category surnames, and were frequently the result of a spontaneous reaction to a particular occasion or event; thus their meanings were significant to the original bearers and their contemporaries, but baffle modern scholars who lack knowledge of the original context of the nickname.

Early Origins of the Kedgwind family

The surname Kedgwind was first found in Cardiganshire (Welsh: Sir Aberteifi), the former Kingdom of Ceredigion, created as a county in 1282 by Edward I, and located on the West coast of Wales, where they held a family seat.

The name rose to prominence when they moved to Cornwall and settled at Mousehole where the first on official record was Carne Keigwin of Mousehole about 1380. "An ancient Cornish family. Mr Dixon derives the surname from Welsh and Cornish roots signifying White Dog, and the three greyhounds argent in the arms seem to allude to this derivation." 1

Early History of the Kedgwind family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kedgwind research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1410, 1432, 1595, 1605, 1639, 1641, 1646, 1647, 1658, 1665, 1666, 1682, 1690, 1700 and 1716 are included under the topic Early Kedgwind History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kedgwind Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Kedgwind has occasionally been spelled Keigwin, Keegwin, Keggwin, Keggin, Keigwine, Keigwyn, Kedgwynn and many more.

Early Notables of the Kedgwind family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was John Keigwin (1641-1716) Cornish antiquary, born at Mousehole, notable for 'Mount Calvary' in Cornish, and his translations of William Jordan's 'Creation to Flood' from Cornish to English in 1682. In 1700, Miss Juliana Keigwin of Mousehole married Thomas Clutterbuck, commanding officer of the Scilly Isles. " His direct ancestor was 'Jenkin Keigwin, gent.,' who was killed by a cannon-ball when the Spaniards landed at Mousehole on 23 July 1595. His father was Martin Keigwin, and he was the only son by a second marriage. His mother was Elizabeth, second daughter of...
Another 205 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kedgwind Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kedgwind family

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Kedgwind Richard Keigwin who landed in North America in 1699.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.


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