Show ContentsKinkeade History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Kinkeade is an ancient Scottish name that was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is a name for someone who lived at Kincaid in the county of Stirlingshire. The name of Kincaith, from which the family derive their name is almost certainly of Gaelic origin, coming from the Gaelic words "ceann", meaning top or head and "caithe", meaning pass. 1 2

Early Origins of the Kinkeade family

The surname Kinkeade was first found in Stirlingshire. The earliest evidence of the surname Kinkeade was found in the parish of Campsie, Stirlingshire north of Glasgow. 3

Early History of the Kinkeade family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinkeade research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1457, 1467, 1493, 1545, 1579, 1600, 1609, 1660, 1661, 1687, 1726, 1787, 1815, 1840 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Kinkeade History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinkeade Spelling Variations

In Medieval times, spelling and translation were not nearly so highly developed as today. They were generally carried out according to the sound and intuition of the bearer. For that reason spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Kinkeade has been spelled Kincaid, Kinkeed, Kincade, Kyncade, Kinkaid and many more.

Early Notables of the Kinkeade family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Jean Kincaid (1579-1600) who led an unfortunate life with a brutal husband, John Kincaid of Warriston. Eventually, his violent ways became too much for her to bear and she incited a servant of hers named Robert Weir, to batter the man to death with his bare fists. He was admitted by Mrs. Kincaid into her husband's chamber in his house at Warriston at an early hour on the morning of Tuesday, 1 July 1600, and he killed Kincaid with his fists. News of the murder quickly reached Edinburgh, and 'the Lady Warristoun,' 'the...
Another 171 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kinkeade Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Kinkeade family to Ireland

Some of the Kinkeade family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 121 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kinkeade family

Unrest, poverty, and persecution caused thousands to look for opportunity and freedom in the North American colonies. The crossing was long, overcrowded, and unsanitary, though, and came only at great expense. Many Strathclyde families settled on the east coast of North America in communities that would form the backbone of what would become the great nations of the United States and Canada. The American War of Independence caused those who remained loyal to England to move north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, Strathclyde and other Scottish families across North America began to recover their collective heritage through highland games and Clan societies. Among them: John Kincaid, who was the first Kincaid in North America, landing at Perth Amboy, New Jersey in 1683; John Kincaid, who settled in New Jersey in 1685.



  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)


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