Kindon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Atlantic Ocean to the north and west and the English Channel to the south borders Cornwall, the homeland to the Kindon family name. Even though the usage of surnames was common during the Middle Ages, all English people were known only by a single name in early times. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Kindon family originally lived in the county of Cornwall, at Kingdon manor. A number of places of this name exist in various counties of England. It translates as the house of the king.

Early Origins of the Kindon family

The surname Kindon was first found in the county of Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the Kindon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kindon research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1462 is included under the topic Early Kindon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kindon Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Kindon, Kingdon, Kingdom and others.

Early Notables of the Kindon family

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

Migration of the Kindon family to Ireland

Some of the Kindon 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.

Kindon migration to the United States +

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Kindon:

Kindon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Eleanor Kindon, who landed in Maryland in 1668 1

Kindon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Kindon, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1876

The Kindon 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: Regis donum gratum bonum
Motto Translation: A king's gift is pleasant and good.

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)