| ![Show Contents]() Kirkenton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of KirkentonWhat does the name Kirkenton mean? The name Kirkenton is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when a family lived in the region of Kirkton which referred to site where a church was in Berkshire. Kirkenton is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. Early Origins of the Kirkenton familyThe surname Kirkenton was first found in Lincolnshire where "the Kirketons, ennobled by the title of Baron by Edward III., derived their name and title from Kirkton, now Kirton." 1 One of the earliest records of the family was that of Edmund Kirkton (d. 1466), the English prelate and Abbot of Westminister. Further to the north in Scotland, "this surname appears in several records in different parts of the country and as the place name is common it is possible that persons bearing this surname are of different origin. Wilham de Kirketon appears as witness in Aberdeen in 1243. Adam de Kirketone of the county of Edneburk rendered homage in 1296." 2 Early History of the Kirkenton familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kirkenton research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1270, 1296, 1466, 1620, 1674, 1676 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Kirkenton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Kirkenton Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Kirkenton family name include Kirton, Kirkton, Kirtman and others. Early Notables of the Kirkenton familyEdmund Kirton (d. 1466), English divine, Abbot of Westminster. He belonged to the old family of Cobbledick, but took the name Kirton, probably from the village he was born. His tomb is in St. Andrew's Chapel, Westminster Abbey.
James Kirkton...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kirkenton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Kirkenton familyFor political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Kirkenton surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Phillip and Sarah Kirton settled in Barbados in 1680 with their servants; William Kirton settled in Barbados in 1673; Anthony Kirton settled in New England in 1769..
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- 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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